Fast food outlets offer significant bonuses to attract workers

As Australia’s worker shortage continues, industries including hospitality and tourism are offering thousands of dollars to attract staff.

Workers in health care, trades, transport, retail, manufacturing and logistics have already received significant cash bonuses ranging from $1500 to $15,000 to sign on.

One Grill’d franchise is offering prospective store managers a $10,000 sign on bonus.

“We are doing everything we can do to find talented and capable people and talented leaders to join our restaurants,” Grill’d chief operating officer Aaron Fitzgerald said of the incentive designed to overcome the “challenge” of finding new employees.

McDonald’s has also announced sign on bonuses of $1000, with a dozen people already taking up the offer.

McDonald’s Chatswood store manager Rhys Taylor told the Australian Financial Review, “We had lots of people asking about the sign-on bonuses when they saw the posters.”

McDonald’s advertised the bonus on posters throughout its stores. The one catch is that workers must work at least 20 hours per week across both day and night.

To combat the issue, the federal government is aiming to prioritise the processing of 60,000 visa applications of international skilled workers.

Irit Jackson, 27^th July 2022