Major change for 115,000 McDonalds workers with new employee assistance program to offer support

McDonalds has become Australia’s first major food company to offer tailored youth support to its thousands of employees.

The fast food giant has teamed up with wellbeing platform Sonder to add the app to its employee assistance program (EAP).

Sonder offers 24/7 live chat with registered professionals such as nurses, psychologists and first responders, plus a range of wellness resources and safety support.

More than 10,000 McDonalds employees have signed up for the app, a figure that is growing by 30 percent each month.

According to Thornleigh McDonalds restaurant manager Blake Northcott, the app has made his job much easier since it was launched four months ago.

“It gives me an instrument and a resource to say, ‘There’s someone you can talk to who’s qualified and can help you with whatever problem you’re facing,” he said.

“It has been very useful and a good resource for me and my managers as well.”

The app is used 100 percent by Mr. Northcott’s management team, along with half of the store’s staff, a figure that continues to grow.

The vast majority of McDonald’s 115,000 employees are young people, with about 75 percent of the crew in high school, TAFE or college.

Research shows that people between the ages of 18 and 24 are more likely to report higher levels of stress, exhaustion and acute mental health: 43 percent of young people struggle with anxiety compared to 27 percent of the wider population.

All managers and half of the crew at Thornleigh McDonalds have come into contact with Sonder since launch

“The app is especially good for the Year 12 students who are currently attending HSC,” he said.

“It’s a very nervous and difficult time, so a few of them have said it’s really good to reach out and have an anonymous conversation with someone, just to get that aspect of mental health under control in these kind of difficult times.” keep control.’

According to Chief People Officer Emma Napoli-Hala, the fact that most employees are younger strongly influenced the decision to use an app-based EAP provider.

“We are one of Australia’s largest employers of young people, which means we have a huge responsibility to ensure that our crew is supported wherever, whenever and however they need it,” she said.

So far, most conversations between Maccas workers and Sonder professionals have taken place between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m., showing that the needs of younger generations are different when it comes to workplace support, Ms Napoli-Hala said.

“I think this shows that companies have an opportunity to rethink how they support the mental health and well-being of younger employees,” she said.

McDonalds has found that its crew interacts with Sonder 30 times more often than their traditional EAP.

Stephen Shillington, one of the first franchisees to sign up to test the app, said it was an easy decision to do so.

Sonder offers 24/7 live chat with registered professionals such as nurses, psychologists and first responders, plus a range of wellness resources and safety support

“I employ more than 500 people and their well-being has always been my priority,” he said.

“My own children are Macca’s crew members, so it’s important to me as an employer and parent to make sure they have access to as much support as we can provide.”

Sonder co-founder and CEO Craig Cowdrey said the company was excited to partner with the fast food giant.

“During our initial launch program with McDonald’s, 100% of crew members who sought help told us they felt more supported by Sonder,” he said.

“By helping these employees live well and do their best, we can ensure that McDonald’s remains an employer of choice for generations to come.”