McDonald’s has said it will raise pay for 90,000 of its US employees starting on 1 July after a series of protests.
Only employees working directly for McDonald’s will qualify for the increase.
According to the Wall Street Journal McDonald’s will pay at least $1 per hour more than the local minimum wage where a company-owned restaurant is located, bringing the average hourly rate for its US employees to $9.90. The company expects the average to reach more than $10 by the end of 2016, as minimum wages increase across the US.
Employees who have been with McDonald’s more than a year will also begin to accrue up to five days of paid time off each year.
Changes in pay will not apply to McDonald’s workers employed by their franchisees. About 90% of 14,350 US McDonald’s restaurants are “independently owned and operated by franchisees”.
