McDonalds Tells Workers To Budget By Getting A Second Job And Turning Off Their Heat

[Catherina]

McDonalds Tells Workers To Budget By Getting A Second Job And Turning Off Their Heat

By Annie-Rose Strasser on Jul 15, 2013 at 3:15 pm

McDonalds has partnered with Visa to launch a website to help its low-wage workers making an average $8.25 an hour to budget. But while the site is clearly meant to illustrate that McDonalds workers should be able to live on their meager wages, it actually underscores exactly how hard it is for a low-paid fast food worker to get by.

The site includes a sample”‘budget journal” for McDonalds’ employees that offers a laughably inaccurate view of what it’s like to budget on a minimum wage job. Not only does the budget leave a spot open for “second job,” it also gives wholly unreasonable estimates for employees’ costs: $20 a month for health care, $0 for heating, and $600 a month for rent. It does not include any budgeted money for food or clothing.



Basically every facet of this budget is unachievable. For an uninsured person to independently buy health care, he or she must shell out on average $215 a month — just for an individual plan. While some full-time McDonald’s workers do qualify for the company’s $14 a week health plan, that offer caps coverage at $10,000 a year and is often insufficient. If that person wants to eat, “moderate” spending will run them $32 a week for themselves, and $867 a month to feed a family of four. And if a fast food worker is living in a city? Well, New York City rents just reached an average of $3,000 a month.

The sample budget is also available in Spanish. On another section of the site, it concludes, “You can have almost anything you want as long as you plan ahead and save for it.”

...

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/07/15/2300321/mcdonalds-buget-low-wage/

[Mr. David]

1. $20 for health insurance?

Should be like $200.

[matthews]

7. I'm right behind you on that one.

I used to pay $350 for my son and myself. Up until I got laid off, that is.

And the rent/mortgage line is a joke too.

Oh hell, it's all a joke. A sick, sad joke.

[Mr. David]

10. $550/600 is in line for a dump

One room dump with no AC here in Denver goes around $400-600.

[roguevalley]

29. I have a pension, the last of the tier ones and I pay 40$ a month for dental and optical and nothing

for medical. I think. Its been a while. I am so glad I could eat shit for 27 years so the last 20 would be halfway decent. I am praying for the rest of you. It breaks my heart to think of the suffering these fuckers cause.

[Heather MC]

50. Big Corporations are the new plantation owner's

[Emelina]

106. Shop and eat local! Boycott these obesity factories.

[Heather MC]

108. I have not step foot in a fast joint or walmart since 2004

If I need anything beyond food. I check Craig's list, thrift shops and eBay first. Although I don't like EBay much anymore.

[thelordofhell]

2. Disgusting

[smirkymonkey]

52. Absolutely!

Excuse me. I have to go vomit now

[SoCalDem]

3. Their wage implies that THIS is the 2nd or 3rd job

How many workers there GET 135 hours a month?

Most fast food/service workers would jump for joy at 30+ hrs a week.

[roguevalley]

30. I know a lady who with her jobs works 20 hours a day. She is almost always asleep working when I

see her and sometimes she hallucinates. She delivers papers in the early morning to start her day and when she's done, she pulls over and sleeps a moment or two. She will die 25 years too soon. Her kids are her life and she is America now. I won't be going to McDonalds again.

[Shrike47]

4. I wonder when we'll have a proposal for a law that discourages hiring people part time.

I can see some possibilities through the tax code to heavily discourage wide spread part time employment.

[surrealAmerican]

36. Good point.

If we could require some sort of benefits proportional to hours worked, I wonder if that would do the trick.

[ceonupe]

56. Many countries

With nationalized health care of many types apply a tax on wages paid so all full and part time workers/companies pay in.

Not saying that a nationalized system is best but just showing one way it can be done.

[reformist2]

111. That's a huge part of the problem. Note how the suggested budget just assumes multiple jobs!

It's not just cruel, it's sick. Anyone who thinks this is fine is insane.

[cali]

5. excuse me while my head explodes.

I hate these people.

[SomethingFishy]

6. I saw this. It's freakin hilarious..

They teach you how to "budget". 2nd job.. $600 a month for rent... $100 a month for car and home insurance. $20 bucks a month for health care. Heating? FREE!
And they still come up with you need to make $15 an hour to survive.

Yes we are paying only half of what you need to live on in our totally fake and bizarre budget.

[Half-Century Man]

8. Who ever wrote this never had to live this.

[WinkyDink]

49. Whoever wrote this shouldn't live.

[Half-Century Man]

51. You can't beat individuals to death for their pretensions.

But a national revolution might be an option.

[arcane1]

9. That seems almost deliberately cruel n/t

[Starry Messenger]

37. +1

[reformist2]

112. Yep. They're kicking they're own employees in the teeth.

First they pay them shit, then they don't ever let them work full time. Finally they tell them that the reason they can't make ends meet is because they are financially irresponsible.

[Rex]

11. 100 in savings per paycheck = 2,400 a year in savings

20 years of savings = 48,000 dollars. Which is the average wage for a middle class worker per year.

So save up for 20 years and have enough to by a new SUV. Wow, how pathetic.

McDonalds is the Wal Mart of junkfood.

[lobodons]

42. Only $1,200

This is a monthly budget. Hope they bring back the Yugo by the time we retire!!

[Rex]

44. I was going with two paychecks a month.

nt.

[PotatoChip]

12. And what about child care costs? (nt)

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

13. The contempt for the poor that these companies have is...astonishing.

They expect you to stay poor and like it.

[Boomerproud]

104. Their employees are just bodies taking up space, or worse yet, having to pay a person

reduces their assets. People are expendable, period. I get treated like crap at my temp job.

[noamnety]

14. woohoo! $3.30 a day for food and gas.

hopefully they are either male or live in texas where tampons are outlawed since there's no money for that.

[Beacool]

100. That wouldn't even buy you a gallon of gas almost anywhere in the country.

[Ilsa]

15. This has to be a 60 hours of work, minimum, per week.

Savings? Not going to happen.

This budget is absurd.

[Lifelong Protester]

16. Why is heating at "0"?

Is this website regional? Somewhere you don't need heat or A/C? What are you getting for a car at $150 a month, with no provision ($$)for car repair? Do they assume everyone will get a second job?

This whole thing is absurd.

[leftstreet]

22. Possibly assumes subsidies

I've seen similar 'worksheets'



Notice food isn't considered an 'expense,' yet the price of food !!
Again, possibly assumes food assistance

[The Straight Story]

39. Maybe electric heater (covered by electric)? (nt)

[thelordofhell]

63. That barrel in your backyard full of burning wood you found in the alley is free

[Hugin]

102. There's no charge for heating in a "viaduct condo".

There's also no heating... or plumbing... or food...

These days there is plenty of companionship, tho. Sadly.

[msongs]

17. is that income before or after taxes, ss, etc ? nt

[nyquil_man]

18. If they're like Walmart, they probably assume their workers will go on government assistance.

Of course, they're not going to say that.

I'd love to see their CEO's monthly budget.

[Safetykitten]

19. Many big box stores have this type of "advice" site.

[NightWatcher]

20. Walmart will help you apply for food stamps during orientation

I miss the good ol days when it was just highschool and a few college kids at the fast food places. I'm disheartened these days to see people of all ages working at fast food places.

[mstinamotorcity2]

21. Tell Mickey D

to put some damn meat on the Big Mac. The bun is hiding it

[BlueJazz]

23. “You can have almost anything you want as long as you plan ahead and save for it.”

Stop it..Stop it..You're killing me !!

[Brigid]

25. It's killing me too.

[socialist_n_TN]

33. It's actually killing ALL of us....

sooner or later because THIS is what they expect from the work force, NOT just Mickey Dee workers.

[BlueJazz]

64. I'll try to make this short: ... It's getting worse and I have my own proof.

I'm a Computer Tech (Microsoft and Linux certified & all that crap). Anyway, I only do house calls which works great for me and my customers. For years people have either paid me in cash or with a check.
In the past year, I've noticed more and more people are constantly asking me to "Hold their check" for 3-5 days sometimes a week or 2.

I'm talking about folks that live in everything from ordinary apartments to nice homes on the beach.

Rather scary.

[Enrique]

54. save long enough, you can even have heat in your home!

[Initech]

24. $150/ month for car payment? Are they fucking kidding???

That might be a great payment if you're driving a beat up 1983 Honda Accord. But any sort of modern vehicle - even a Nissan Versa -,you'd be looking at a minimum of a $300 / month payment.

[Lunacee_2013]

26. This is crazy.

$20 a month for health care?! I spend more than that on bandaids alone!

[Mkap]

28. 20 bucks

For health insurance
HAHAHAHAha for real?
and of course they don't dare factor in the cost of kids

[eilen]

82. I think by "healthcare"

that $20 is to cover aspirin, multivitamin, bandaids, toothpaste/floss, and store brand benedryl and maybe feminine hygiene products.

If so, the price isn't right. That costs more than $20.

[klook]

31. So I guess "monthly spending money" includes daycare, groceries, vacations (ha!), pet care, etc.

I know, all those are luxuries -- you can always leave the kids in the car (which you're probably living in) or with a relative during your shift, go dumpster diving instead of grocery shopping, forgo vacations, abandon your pets, and so on.

What a fucking insult.

Meanwhile, you have to have $250,000 cold, hard cash on hand to even be considered worthy of owning a McDonald's franchise.

[madinmaryland]

32. I suppose it is technically possible, but it would have to be in a very small community, and there

would have to so many other caveats that would make this nearly impossible.

See the real solution would be to make the 1st salary the same as the total salary, then if the spouse had another job, they would be actually making enough money to survive (in a midwestern community, at least).

Just not realistic what they have hypothesized.

[nolabear]

34. Hello? FOOD?

I know you don't eat that much when you've died from the cold, but seriously...

[thelordofhell]

65. Food Stamps

Cause y'know it's the 'Murican dream to work two jobs, 12 hours a day, and still qualify for food stamps..........

[Proud Liberal Dem]

94. but being on food stamps is supposed to be evil now too

Republicans think that food stamps aren't necessary because some poor people are fat, right?

[muntrv]

35. If you turn off the heat in the winter, your pipes freeze and then burst.

How do you pay for that?

[Pretzel_Warrior]

38. this bullshit has to stop. when is the revolt? Occupy everywhere.

[muntrv]

40. But..but doncha know? If McDonalds had to pay a living wage,

we would have to pay $10 for a cheeseburger and fries! Oh the humanity!

[love_katz]

41. There so-called "budget" ideas are more full of holes than...

The Titanic.

And, we all know how well that turned out for the poor and middle class.

[Mosby]

43. 11.89 per hour

That's what the sample income works out to for a 40 hour per week job.

The fact that they had to use two jobs to make the numbers work tells you everything you need to know about this expense worksheet.

Sad.

[forestpath]

45. The purveyors of pink slime are obscene.

[allinthegame]

46. So I take it

A. that I live with at least three other people to achieve this rent (here in Los Angeles)
B. that I have a car loan on a 1996 toyota (even a basic car at $22,500 with ZERO interest is going to run $360 a month)
C. that I only have catastrophic health insurance (if that for $20 a month)
4. that my car (above) gets about 50 miles to the galleon so I don't have to fill it up at $4.19 a galleon out here in LA
E. that the car/home insurance listed only covers my car (and I don't have renter's insurance to protect my possessions from loss)
(I am a top tier driver at my insurance company and I drive a Prius and still my insurance is $1300 a year)
F. that, naturally, giving up food/heat/a movie/an app will allow me to SAVE $100 a month

I hope eventually they will be embarrassed that they actually published this.

[KT2000]

47. a financial planner too!

they offer a discount for financial advice from Ameriprise! Yeah!

Ameriprise Financial
Receive a free consultation with a certified financial planner plus $100 off the cost of a formalized financial plan. To receive more information contact 1-800-437-3500 and let the Financial Advisor know that you work for McDonald's.

[Brigid]

66. I can't decide which of these to do:

This or this

[KT2000]

67. how about

or will that get the NSA on my back?

[undeterred]

48. Your second job needs to be selling drugs or high paid escort.

They forgot to tell you that.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

53. Going to need three jobs, not two.

[ReRe]

55. The only person this would actually work for is....

... a teenager/young adult who was too unlucky to go to college and is living at home with very understanding parents. And that's for a combination of 2 effing jobs? Slave wages, folks. This is slavery. And fuck anyone who thinks it isn't. Look at it. One can NOT look at that and see anything but slave wages.

[Teamster Jeff]

57. Corporate PR at its worst

Vile stuff. They must believe their employees are like small children who need guidance. Partnered with Visa too. Jesus these big Corps make me sick

[DeSwiss]

58. K&R

Outlandish hamburger diet claims link

[love_katz]

113. + a gazillion.

[Starry Messenger]

114. omg

[Apophis]

59. Wow.

Their "budget" doesn't even reflect the real world.

[gollygee]

60. Am I just not seeing "food" or "groceries" or something along those lines?

What kind of a crazy budget is that? 80 hours a week of work, is that hte assumption?

[HughBeaumont]

61. Or you COULD, and I'm just dart-throwing here . . . PAY YOUR WORKERS MORE.

NUTJOB Commie talk, I know . . . I know . . .

It'd mean TWO dollar menus instead of a Dollar Menu. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu . . ..

[senseandsensibility]

62. Maybe assuming they qualify for food stamps?

Many low wage workers do. But I can see why they wouldn't want to come out and say that. It makes them look bad.

[KoKo]

68. omg...I keep seeing posts I think are from the Onion...but, they are real!

Thanks Catherina...just when one thinks they've seen too much crazy...another travisty raises it's head that would have been a joke some years ago...but these days, is all too real.

This is so demeaning to see this kind of thing going on in America these days.

[Beacool]

69. $600 in rent/ mortgage in this part of the country????????

With that you don't even get a closet. The deeded parking spots in most bldgs. in my town are $25,000 plus. Don't even ask how much does the apt. cost. If we are talking a one family home, it'll set you back over a $1M.

[gollygee]

74. I live someplace with very low rent

and $600 will get you a very inexpensive apartment. But just barely.

[Beacool]

76. That's good.

I live in NJ on the edge of the Hudson river facing NYC. I don't think that you can get any rentals below $1,200 in this town and that would be for a small apt.

Here's a sample of the value of properties in Hoboken.

http://realestate.aol.com/homes-for-sale-listings/Hoboken_NJ?flv=1#/sortby-5

http://www.weichert.com/NJ/Hudson/Hoboken/

http://www.coldwellbankermoves.com/real_estate/New_Jersey/Hoboken.htm

[gollygee]

79. I guess what we take away from this

is that if you work at McD's, you'd better live somplace well below the average as far as rent goes. But even then, lots of these line items don't make any sense at all. You'd starve, for one thing, and you'd better never get sick.

[Beacool]

84. In this whole tri-state area the cost of living is very expensive.

That's why in NYC fast food workers went on strike some months ago. They wanted their pay to be increased to $15 an hour. It didn't happen, but they put up a valiant fight.

[JoeyT]

97. Same here.

But places with cheap rent tend to have higher utilities. I couldn't imagine a 90 dollar power bill. I can't even imagine a bill lower than twice that.

[DirkGently]

70. And that's before the *debit card fees* on your PAYCHECK.

They've apparently since dropped the scheme.

As a lawsuit against a local McDonald's franchise gains national attention, federal authorities are investigating the company's practice of forcing employees to be paid only by debit cards that come with an assortment of fees.

Meanwhile, lawyers for the franchise owners say the lawsuit's contention that employees incur fees on all transactions is wrong and there are several ways workers could access their money for free.

West Pittston-based attorney Michael Cefalo recently filed the class action lawsuit in Luzerne County Court on behalf of Natalie Gunshannon, a Dallas Twp. woman who quit her job at the McDonald's in Shavertown after the company issued her a debit card as pay and refused to pay her by check or direct deposit.

Days after the suit was filed and garnered national media attention, Mr. Cefalo said an investigator with the U.S. Department of Labor called his law office.

http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/feds-investigating-mcdonald-s-franchise-over-payroll-debit-cards-1.1509690

[Blue Owl]

71. Well ain't that some McShit

n/t

[Heywood J]

72. You may not need heating because of the insulating layer you may develop? (NT)

[heaven05]

73. corporate

lies. tis the american way.

[ut oh]

75. and next...

they'll pull a 'Walmart' and show how their employees can get on public assistance....

[limpyhobbler]

77. Corporate propaganda in the ongoing class war. nt

[Fantastic Anarchist]

78. McDonald's - They're "Lovin' it!" nt

[snooper2]

80. I guess I'm the only one who clicked on the link, but why do they have to lie Catherina

The image you posted is from the "think progress" site where they scrubbed the Heat to 0



If you click on the actual link to the site it shows heating at $50





More fail, why people have to lie about McDonalds being a shitty job is mind-boggling to me. Way to go, progress people LOL

[Catherina]

85. Because they didn't. They updated the English one and still haven't corrected the Spanish one

The FAIL is on the part of people who are so hateful of "progress people" that they leap on the first chance they think they spotted to accuse them of lying.



and just in case the change that one too, let me post a snapshot of how it appears today



Google cache still has the old one.

Heating = 0

Monthly spending total = 800

[snooper2]

86. So some low level IT dude, Maybe Snowden!

updated the file with Version 4.6 when he should have used 5.1...


Got it...Unless you think the ThinkProgress blog got them to change it

[Liberal_in_LA]

81. $100 other? Food, gas, other supplies. Not enough for even a week

[Beacool]

88. What do you mean?

You spend more than $20 in food per week? No wonder Americans are so fat!!

[Liberal_in_LA]

90. lol. Forgive me. From now on I'll stick to Ramen noodles and taco bell

[Beacool]

92. And the dollar menu of, where else, McDonald's.

[NuclearDem]

83. Fuck you, McDonald's.

YOU turn off the heat.

[HiPointDem]

87. “You can have almost anything you want as long as you plan ahead and save for it.”

lies of the ruling class revisited...

[Hekate]

89. Did I miss the line for "Food"? I've read through it 3 times.Or is food under "Other" at $100/month?

Rent? In this town you can scarcely get a single room in a shared home for $600.

That budget is disgusting.

[Blasphemer]

93. Needn't read any further than "second job"

This is the world that corporate America wants.

[Catherina]

95. A world where, with the proper Protestant ethic,

“You can have almost anything you want as long as you plan ahead and save for it.”

There are no words to express my disgust for for corporate America and its friends. When you travel around poor countries and watch poor, hard-working, barefoot people wailing because they can't afford Monsanto's rice for their children to eat, the anger burns. And now they're destroying what charade they had left by totally abandoning the American worker. I hope people wake up quick.

Second job? Coming to a bubble near you, everywhere soon.

Thanks. I had the same reaction/

[Skeeter Barnes]

98. They want everybody working 2-3 part time jobs through a temp agency.

No more working one full time job as a company employee with full benefits like health insurance or paid sick days.

(MoneyWatch) The job market is looking up. According to a new survey conducted for job search site CareerBuilder, 44 percent of U.S. employers intend to hire full-time workers in the second half of 2013, while 25 percent will hire part-timers and 31 percent will hire temporary employees. Good news, right?

Not really. While everyone is pleased to see that hiring of permanent workers is at least relatively stable and not shrinking, the increase in part-time and temporary employees is part of a worrying trend. The U.S. now has 2.7 million temporary workers -- more than ever before in its history. These are people who typically lack health care benefits and any paid sick leave or time off.

Meanwhile, those who work in construction and manufacturing are twice as likely to be injured as permanent employees and, of course, when they're off work they aren't being paid at all. In retail, temp jobs don't produce a living wage, especially in the big expensive metropolitan areas where they're largely concentrated. Yet this represents the growth sector in American employment, with temp jobs growing faster than any other kind of paid work.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-57592784/surge-in-temp-jobs-may-hinder-recovery/

[tclambert]

96. Hey, just start your own business. Borrow money from your parents if you have to.

Or become an investment banker. They make lots of money. Really, why choose to work at McDonald's when you could get a job on Wall Street? Duh.

[Zorra]

99. This was called the "Let Them Eat Cake Budget" in France at one time.

It wasn't workable back then. either.

[Hugin]

101. On a $20 monthly healthcare outlay it would take 16 and 2/3 years to pay off one average ER visit.

I doubt the Hospital Billing Office is going to want to wait that long.

Well, I guess if you only get one visit to the ER in your life... Better choose wisely.

[DhhD]

103. The new service economy of the future; conditions in a country

that is certainly not number 1 in the World.

The State of Texas will now offer a high school diploma that is not acceptable for college entrance. Students do not have to be on the 4 x 4 plan of college readiness plan any longer. They can just work 2 jobs when they get out of high school.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2013/05/testing_rolled_back_graduation_pathway_revised_under_Texas_bill.html

[woo me with science]

105. kick

[jmowreader]

110. What I find most interesting here are a couple of assumptions they make

First is that a minimum-wage employee who needs to work two jobs to survive is able to save money.

Second is that this employee drives a financed car rather than using some combination of public transportation, skateboard commuting (don't laugh, we have three employees who get to work in this exact way), bicycling, walking and driving the most reliable shitbox they could find on Craigslist one morning.

Third is that the same employee, who is spending $27 per day on ramen and soap, is spending $100 per month on "cable/phone" rather than using rabbit ears and a $25 Tracfone card.

But yeah, someone at their corporate headquarters is smokin' crack to come up with this shit.

On edit: The $600 per month for rent is probably high, because many of the people in this income situation have roommates and share expenses.