McDonald’s Begins McJob Petition
Fast-food giant McDonald’s has launched a petition to get the dictionary definition of a McJob changed.
The Oxford English Dictionary currently describes a McJob as “an unstimulating low-paid job with few prospects”.
McDonald’s says this definition is now “out of date and insulting”, and claims a survey found that 69% of the UK population agree it needs updating.
The campaign by the firm’s UK arm is backed by the government’s skills envoy and former CBI boss Sir Digby Jones.
‘Making a stand’
“The current definition is extremely insulting to the 67,000 people who work for us within the UK,” said McDonald’s senior vice president David Fairhurst.
“It is also insulting for everyone else who works in the wider restaurant and tourism sectors.
“It is time for us now to make a stand and get the Oxford English Dictionary to change the definition.”
McDonald’s says that in its staff surveys, 90% of employees agree they are given valuable training that will be of benefit for the rest of their working lives.
And 82% of its workers would recommend working at the company to their friends.
‘Derogatory’
McDonald’s is now inviting its customers to sign petition books in its stores, or alternatively via a new website, entitled Change The Definition.
Meanwhile, Labour MP Clive Betts is sponsoring an Early Day Motion in the Commons, which regrets the use of the derogatory phrases attached to service sector jobs.
McDonalds says it will hand the petition into the Oxford English Dictionary in the autumn.
Its campaign is further supported by British Chambers of Commerce director general David Frost, British Retail Consortium director general Kevin Hawkins and City & Guilds director general Chris Humphries.
The word McJob was first used in the US in the 1980s and was popularised by Douglas Coupland’s 1991 book Generation X.
It first appeared in the online version of the Oxford English Dictionary in March 2001.
Last year McDonald’s tried to improve the image of its employment opportunities with the slogan: “McProspects - over half of our executive team started in our restaurants. Not bad for a McJob.”
© BBC MMVII
Great, now we have corporate meddling in lexicography and linguistics. Legitimate modern descriptive lexicography (dictionary-making) looks at how a word is actually used in a population through the objective gathering of citations of the word in published matter, not at corporate PR, political arm-twisting, or self-selected “surveys”.
Of course, a very high percentage of McDonald’s employees love their jobs and think them valuable. Of course, absolutely. Yet, even if it were true, it has nothing to do with the meaning and usage of the word “McJob”.
Corporate Correctness, just like Patriotic Correctness. Let’s make sure those phrases are in the dictionary.
I have never used the term McJob before, but I will now — every chance I get.
Its a great picture. Look at the racial split between the customers and the employees. They may change the definition of “mcjob” but will they ever adequately address their blatant classist/racist system of marketing and employing people?
Doubtful: given equal access to education, social status, etc., companies like mcdonalds would go under fast- if everyone has access to a living wage job, they obviously wont work a Mcjob, and people are statistically much less likely to eat production line food when they can afford even a diner meal- which costs about twice what a mcd’s meal does in the US ($5 vs $10).
Spot on Brassneck.
Dictionaries do not tell us how a word SHOULD be used (or not used). They tell us how a word IS used.
If the word “McJob” is commonly used to describe a low-paying, dead-end job, then that is the definition that any worthwhile dictionary will use.
The commonly used meanings of words change over time (the word “gay” is a good example of this). The word “McJob” may also change over time, but it won’t happen just because people addicted to high-fat, salty foods sign a petition.
If McDonald’s truly wants the word “McJob” to describe a great job with good pay and conditions, then instead of petitioning the lexicographers, the company would be well advised to ensure that all their workers get good pay, and have good working conditions, with lots of opportunity for advancement. Until then, a “McJob” will be nothing but a … er, McJob.
Take this McDonald’s
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and this too McD(eath)’s
mcjobs suck and are dead enders mcjobs suck and are dead enders
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mcjobs suck and are dead enders mcjobs suck and are dead enders
mcjobs suck and are dead enders mcjobs suck and are dead enders
mcjobs suck and are dead enders mcjobs suck and are dead enders
mcjobs suck and are dead enders mcjobs suck and are dead enders
mcjobs suck and are dead enders mcjobs suck and are dead enders
mcjobs suck and are dead enders mcjobs suck and are dead enders
“McDonald’s Begins to pay middle class wages to all of its workers.”
This what need to be done now.
Avoid McDonald’s Corp until then.
Hey, if a corporation can purchase the “rights” to a word, why can’t they also purchase a change to the definition?
McDonald’s should just be grateful that the Oxford English Dictionary doesn’t include the following:
“Mc- When placed in front of a food item: unstimulating low-taste fare with few healthful prospects.”
Attention: New McDictionary entry
Perfume - Bodily emission formerly known as a fart.
a petition in support of maintaining the current definition of “mcjob” would likely get far more support than mcdonalds’ current petition.
Last time I had to fill out one of those damn employee surveys, I ticked all of the happy boxes: yes, my manager gives me adequate feedback; yes, I feel that we have a challenging and acheivable vision and direction. Anonymous my arse. I didn’t trust the mob I worked with one inch. Serves em’ right if the company tanks because they think the employees are happy. They need a *survey* to find out how the people that actually do the work are going?
And Maccas UK wants to quote one of these surveys as evidence that McJobs are tickety-boo.
McSucks
McCaca
McSlavewages
I’m going to start using these words more often as well!
“The Oxford English Dictionary currently describes a McJob as “an unstimulating low-paid job with few prospects”.
McDonald’s says this definition is now “out of date and insulting”…”
Don’t get so bent-out-of-shape, we all make McStakes.
Can McMansions be far behind? Must our current culture be impoverished and our rights to free speech (which should include eligibility of words to enter dictionaries) be crippled to suit the Ego of these gigantor PsuedoFood mongers?
I will never ever go there again. Never. Pack trail mix, folks.
I can’t wait until they go out of business.
Thank You Seed!!!
McDictionary: A partial compendium of words edited to suit corporate image and desire for market control.
I say petition for it to stay as is!
As long as they continue to sell McFood, McJob is the correct term.
Typical of the big corporation mind-set… attack a symbol (in this case the workd “mcjob” instead of taking a good hard look at what it can do to actually change the work conditions of people until the word falls in disuse for being completely irrelevant. Now they’ll probably spend millions in big legal muscle, millions that could be invested to improve their employees lives… Same way they’re now spending gazillions in advertising their so-called commitment to health without making any meaninful changes to the awfulness of their products… typical!
I wonder if this is what Orwell had in mind when he wrote about newspeak in 1984?
McLOL
You cannot legislate language.
This is yet another example of insane corporate mentality. I bet the only reason McDonald’s is doing this is because their marketing department said it was hurting their bottom line. After all, money is what drives corporations and nothing else.
What a joke.