McDonald’s in Inverness and the Highlands gives staff higher wages at rate of pay to £11 per hour for workers aged 18 and over
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A restaurant chain is doing its bit to help staff in Inverness and the Highlands during the cost of living crisis.
McDonald’s has announced that it has increased its rate of pay to £11 per hour for workers aged 18 and over in its Highland restaurants – which represents an increase of more than 15 per cent compared with last month.
It is one of a number of initiatives aimed at combating inflation and labour shortages in the region.
The rate for crew members is significantly above both the current minimum wage of £6.83 per hour for those aged between 18 and 20 and the real living wage of £9.50 per hour for those aged over 23.
The move comes as inflation hits record highs and industries struggle due to labour shortages across the UK.
Criagton Foods owns all of the local franchises in the Highlands including Inverness, Nairn and Fort William.
Franchisee Craig Duncan explained the group’s decision to pay more than the real living wage, saying: “We are committed to doing the right thing – we care about our team members and understand our responsibility to provide stable jobs to the community.
“McDonald’s is a great place to build a career, and we offer lots of perks as well as attractive rates of pay.”
He said the move was well received, adding: “The team were extremely pleased that their hard work is being rewarded. Since we announced the pay increase there has been a real buzz in the restaurants.
“Competitive rates of pay is just one of many incentives we have to attract new staff. We also offer a cash bonus to team members for recruiting a friend in the Inverness and Nairn restaurants – we pay them £100 for referring someone if they are full-time and over 18.
“McDonald’s isn’t just a place for casual work – it’s a brilliant place to start a career.
“In fact, I’m an example of that, having started my career working in a McDonald’s in Dundee, and progressing to where I am now as a franchisee.
“We offer apprenticeship programmes and management training to the right candidates who would like to move into more senior positions.”
McDonald’s runs an apprenticeship programme which takes at least 12 months to complete, gaining a qualification.
