Dive Brief:

• McDonald's expects to hire about 260,000 restaurant employees in the U.S. this summer, the chain announced June 18.
• The restaurant noted new workers will join as it reopens dining rooms across the country. It has put in place nearly 50 safety procedures in response to the novel coronavirus, measures which include "wellness and temperature checks, social distancing floor stickers, protective barriers at order points, masks and gloves for employees with the addition of new procedures, and training for the opening of dining rooms."
• Job seekers have a range of digital application options. Applicants can apply on McDonald's website or start an application over text. They can also do so with an Amazon Alexa device or any device supporting Google Assistant.

Dive Insight:

McDonald's joins a number of large chains hiring in force, though none come close to the behemoth's 260,000-person goal. McDonald's directly employed 205,000 in 2019, according to an SEC filing. McDonald’s and its franchisees employ 850,000 in the U.S. and 1.9 million globally. The additional U.S. employees show that the chain is expecting a busy summer, which will likely be aided by a $100 million marketing boost as dining rooms reopen.

But it certainly isn't alone in boosting employment numbers. Domino's announced in late March plans to expand its workforce by 20,000 to keep up with delivery and carryout demand. Pizza Hut made a similar move at the same time, announcing plans to hire more than 30,000 and noting it would expedite its onboarding process to put new drivers on the road in five hours.

More recently, Dunkin' launched a recruitment campaign to hire 25,000, while Panda Express and Taco Bell announced plans to add 30,000 to their respective ranks, with Taco Bell's effort concentrated over the summer and Panda Express' spread throughout the year. Subway franchise owners plan to onboard 50,000 workers.

Like McDonald's, many restaurants have implemented and publicized measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, especially as they resume traditional, dine-in operations. It's worth noting McDonald's caught criticism for its early reaction to the pandemic; five Chicago-area employees and their families filed a class action lawsuit against the restaurant in May, alleging the company failed to provide adequate protection. The suit, which workers filed just after McDonald's released its 59-page guide to reopening, also claimed that a manager did not inform coworkers she had contracted COVID-19. The chain's coronavirus response also inspired nationwide strikes.

More recent allegations say franchise owners in Oakland, California, forced "highly contagious workers who had contracted the virus to keep working and gave workers face masks made from dog diapers," according to Law360.

McDonald's has faced a slew of allegations ranging from racial discrimination to sexual harassment in 2020, as well. In January, two African American senior executives for McDonald's sued, claiming "intentional race discrimination, disparate treatment, hostile work environment and unlawful retaliation." Restaurant workers filed a class action suit in April, alleging "severe or pervasive sexual harassment" of female employees.