Day 150 - 07 Jul 95 - Page 21
1
2 Q. Is that a very common problem, that people are coming back
3 after ----
4 A. I have not come across personally a three year gap.
5 I mean, certainly a year maybe as they go off to do some
6 academic work, but certainly not three years; not in my
7 experience.
8
9 Q. Would you expect to know if the system was not working
10 well?
11 A. People would tell me. Crew and managers and crew
12 especially would tell me, believe me.
13
14 Q. Can I just ask you a question about overtime? We have
15 heard that, at least in this country, overtime is not
16 paid. What would you say to somebody who said, "That is
17 rather unfair because there are people who are working
18 hours in the evening; there are people who may be doing an
19 all night close", what do you say to the suggestion that it
20 is unfair?
21 A. Well, I would point to the fact, probably, that we have
22 -- we had at that stage, anyway, three different rates,
23 what we called a regular rate, I think, which from 7.00 in
24 the morning until 7 p.m.. I think we had an evening rate
25 from 7.00 till midnight. I am not too sure, but I think it
26 was about midnight. Then from -----
27
28 Q. This is not a memory test ---
29 A. Sorry, anyway, then from midnight to 7 a.m.
30
31 Q. -- 11 o'clock in the evening?
32 A. Yes, sorry, yes. We would have a premium rate for
33 those hours back up until again 7 o'clock in the morning
34 when the regular hours would start again. So, I mean,
35 there are three distinct rates is what I would point out to
36 people.
37
38 Q. Do you think that is fair compensation for the absence of
39 overtime?
40 A. I would speak from personal -- having worked as a crew
41 member, then to me that seemed a suitable system to have.
42 It was a very good system.
43
44 Q. Thank you. We have talked a little bit about turnover
45 anyway, but if we can now turn in depth to the subject of
46 turnover at McDonald's stores and again speaking from your
47 experience. If someone comes along and suggests to you
48 that the higher the turnover, the better as far as
49 McDonald's, the Company, are concerned, or as you
50 personally as the Manager is concerned, then what do you
51 say about that?
52 A. But that is not what running a restaurant is about. As
53 I mentioned beforehand, it is far better to have people
54 working for you who are fully trained up. If I took the
55 argument or the discussion previously, with having somebody
56 come back who is fully trained up in preference to somebody
57 who is brand new, well, if it is an advantage for me in
58 that limited case, that 10 per cent, if I had the whole of
59 my payroll on high turnover and I was changing people every
60 five minutes, then I would be spending more time training.
