Company: McDonald-s
Date: 2014-09-16
Overall rating: 1/5
Employment status: former
Experience level: Confirmed

Unprofessional workplace. Do not work here, EVER
Pros: The schedule is flexible and the work isn't objectively difficult.
Cons: Unfortunately, a flexible schedule means you must also be flexible. Technically there is no part-time or full-time in McDonald's, but what your schedule allows and what they need from you at the time. Unless you are upper management, kiss your weekends goodbye. When I first started there, I went for two weeks without being scheduled ONCE. When I finally confronted the scheduling manager about it, she fixed the problem. I later learned they did this with all their new employees just to see if they wanted the hours. Believe me, if I didn't need a job I wouldn't have applied!
While the work is objectively easy, it is made far more challenging by the customers. If thee is one thing I learned working there, people are not at their best when they're hungry. Every day you'd have the odd psycho trying to pick a fight, the druggie that doesn't know what you're talking about, and the elderly person who tries to tell you how to do your job. Their aggravation become multiplied by undercooked food, messed up orders, and long lines, and as the cashier you have to take the brunt of all of it.
But management was by far the worst offender. Often they would get onto some people about not working every second, only to pull out their cell phones the next and talk lively to other employees (often members of their family) rather than do their jobs. I recall once that a customer spoke rudely to me and used profane language for no reason. The store manager stepped in and I thought he would take care of it. In a meeting in his office later, however, I was stunned to learn that he had taken no action. No, it was MY fault because I was the one who was offended, NOT the customer, who played innocent about the whole thing. Not half an hour later, I was sent home because apparently I was too upset to work.
Did I mention I only received two raises in five years? And that you need a doctor's note to call in sick for even one day?