Do McDonald's Employees Really Have To Stand Their Entire Shift?

In the bustling world of fast-food service, where efficiency is paramount, employee work conditions often spark discussions. Take McDonald's, for example. When visiting the chain, you'll see employees on their feet, zipping around behind the counter as they take your order, prepare your food, and service the drive-thru window. But do McDonald's employees really have to stand for their entire shift?

There's no public corporate guidance that directly answers the question, but it appears that drive-thru employees are required to stand for the duration of their shift. A Quora user offered some context behind the reported policy, which may vary by restaurant location and franchise owner. "In general, it is typical for fast food employees to stand for long periods of time while working, as they are typically required to be in motion to fulfill their job duties such as cooking, preparing, and serving food to customers," the user commented. "However, there may be some locations that allow employees to sit down during their breaks or at specific times during their shift."

The reported no-sitting policy aside, McDonald's employees do find alternative ways to rest their legs during their shifts. A TikTok video shows workers getting creative behind the scenes, leaning on the fry station, planking on stock shelves, and squatting behind the counter.

Standing in the food services industry is common in the United States for drive-thru workers and cashiers alike. The fast-paced nature of restaurant and food service work often involves tasks such as taking orders, preparing food, and serving customers, all of which require constant movement and quick responses. Standing may allow employees to navigate the workspace more efficiently, attend to customer needs promptly, and more effectively fulfill their job responsibilities.

Standing also extends to cashiers at grocery stores, but that appears to be a uniquely American phenomenon. In Europe, for example, cashiers sit down as they ring up customers. A 2012 study on cashier models in the U.S. and France found that standing is preferred in the United States to allow cashiers to shift from ringing to bagging, while customers take care of bagging their groceries in Europe.

There is one grocery chain that famously allows cashiers to sit — Aldi. This policy is rooted in the discount supermarket's commitment to efficiency and productivity. By sitting behind the register, it is believed that Aldi cashiers can ring up items and process customer transactions more quickly.

With efficiency reports on the line, Aldi employees actively strategize how to improve their numbers. "There are a few factors that come into play when it comes to ring speed," an Aldi shift manager shared in a Reddit thread. "I'd say the number one factor is the customer. It can be VERY stressful dealing with slow people, and your numbers can plummet. Honestly, ringing is my least favorite thing to do because of how stressed I get with people." Additionally, Aldi brand products feature multiple barcodes for ease of scanning. This also helps contribute to the efficient check-out process.