An online blog for students enrolled in FRSM 1000 (Xavier, New Orleans & the World) on the intersections of food culture and popular culture.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Blog 5: Behind the Counter & Success
Compare and contrast the conditions of workers in fast food restaurants (Chapter 3) with the franchisees that "own" these restaurants(Chapter 4)? How are their struggles similar and different?
In Chapter 3, Schlosser makes a point to reveal the poor working conditions of the fast food industries workers. These workers are subject to unusually high risks while on the job. These risks include falls, burns, cuts, bruises, and robbery. Since these restaurants deal mostly with cash, criminals see it as the ideal target for a robbery. The result of this logic includes the loss of life on the job, serious injury, and/or psychological scarring. Since most of these workers are teenagers that still live with their parents, most fast food giants offer the minimum wage, no benefits, and rigid scheduling. This often alienates and demeans the workers in a way that they are only valued for their obedience and competence.
Chapter 4 sets out to inform the reader on the position of the franchisees. They are often referred to as “owners” but this is revealed to bu untrue. They are at the complete mercy of the corporation, who reserves the right to terminate a lease at anytime. Like the underprivileged workers, the franchisees are then valued solely on obedience and profit. The franchisees and workers are connected in a way that the franchisee’s success relies mainly on the performance of the workers and the workers must rely on themselves to keep the franchisee happy so that they can keep their jobs. This not only connects them but reveals a major difference in power which in turn shows other differences in job security, benefits, and income. Some franchisees also sometimes work together to maximize profits and success while the corporations explicitly prevent workers from unionizing and joining together in order to make demands for better working conditions. The franchisee and worker have quite a few differences in comparison but are also extremely alike because in the end they are still tools used by the fast food corporations to make money.
In Chapters 3 and 4, Schlosser talks about the working conditions and challenges of both the workers and the franchisees. You may think that the owners of these fast food restaurants may have it easy while the workers do all the work, but it is a lot different than you may think. The workers have to deal with poor working conditions such as low pay, dangerous work environments, and risk of being in a robbery. These factors play a big role into why the workers have such a hard time doing their jobs. Sometimes, they get injuries such as cuts and bruises from falls, burns from cooking machines, and sometimes death if something really goes bad. The fact that they are getting paid minimum wage does not help in any way.
The workers and franchisees are both similar and different in many ways. For example, they are both working for a bigger power, which are the big companies such as McDonald's. The franchisees' depend on workers to fulfill the company's expectations while the workers must do a good job to keep their jobs. This interconnection between them makes them work together and they are on the same boat because of it. They are different, however, because the workers get paid minimum wage and do all of the crappy jobs, while the franchisee just has to supervise and guide the worker to make sure they are doing a good job.
Some fast food restaurant employees try to unionize and work together to maximize their benefits but the big companies does not want this to happen. This is because when the employees unite, they tend to revolt and fight against the companies to give them bigger paychecks and more benefits. To prevent this, they build a systematic way of how everything works. For example, McDonald's has a giant book they call the "Bible" that tells you how to do everything how they want you to do it. It is a strict code that the employees follow and it's a good tactic the companies use to keep everyone uniform.
Chapter 3 is highlighted by Schlosser’s detailed writing on the poor working conditions and horrid circumstances of the fast food industries workers. With majority of the fast food industries workers being teenagers, you would think that safety would be a high concern. Instead, these teenagers are subject to cuts, falls, burn, and robberies that can lead to their own death. Many of these teenagers also experience stress on the job. It is sometimes difficult for these teenagers to receive enough hours that don’t conflict with their school hours, which leads to them performing poorly in school, or just dropping out completely. They believe that the will be able to support themselves and their family with their job, however they are oblivious to the fact that they are paid minimum wage. In addition, most of the workers are classified as part-time employees, so they take on the disadvantage of no benefits, which is detrimental to the worker. Chapter 4 insights the reader on the franchisee’s prospective on building a successful franchise. Many of which are very similar to the worker of the franchise. A franchisee has to sacrifice some of their independence to obey the company’s rules, which is similar to how a worker complies with the rules to their job. A franchisee is thought of as the owner; however they are under the higher power of the existing company, who has the ability to fire them at any time. The franchisee has to keep the franchisor happy, as the worker has to keep the customers happy to ensure the flow of money. They are also alike in the sense that most fast food workers don’t have much, if any, education. Many franchisees are in this same boat, but instead take a bigger risk with their idea. Yet, there are significant differences, which include the success of the franchisee vs. a worker’s success. The franchisee’s pay check is meaningfully greater and so are their benefits. Nonetheless, the similarities outweigh the differences of the struggles of both the worker and the franchisee.
In Chapter 3 Schlosser discusses the poor conditions that young American teen and other fast food employees are working in. He states the bulk of the fast food industries are young adults who are being paid minimum wage ,and the poor conditions that these workers are working in. The workers behind the counters of these fast food giants are working eight hours a day for minimum wage and often without any benefits or paid overtime. The poor conditions that the employees work in just don't end with a low pay scale ,but they are also subject to a high risk of injury and harm while on the job whether it be from a grease burn or a robbery. The results from the poor treatment of these workers can often lead to death because of the low pay scale and the horrible environment that they have to work in. In Chapter 4 Schlosser changes the perspective to the franchisee's point of view. Most believe that by franchising a corporation like McDonalds you are the owner of that business but that is false. A business requires the franchisee to pay the start up cost for the business and if the company was not to be a success then the corporation doesn't have to pay. This puts the burden of a loss completely of the franchisee not the corporation. The corporation also reserves the right to terminate the lease of the franchise if they feel the need to. The only major differences between the workers and the franchises is the pay, the benefits and hours. The similarities between workers and franchises are that in the end they depend on each other to make money and the corporation depends in them to make money. All in all ,the fast food industries' employees and franchises are the ones who will lose more than the corporation for a franchises' failure to succeed.
In Chapter 4 Schlosser discusses many tragedies that happen while fast food employees are working. Teenagers are twice as likely to experience injuries than adult workers. This is because teenagers are far less trained which means they are more likely to be injured just because of their lack of skill. Slips, falls, burns, and strains are the most common injuries workers experience. Since fast food restaurants use mostly cash compared to using credit card, this makes it a high robbery contestant. Roughly four or five fast food workers are murdered every month on the job usually during the course of a robbery. It’s very surprising that more fast food works are murdered on the job than police officers. A robbery is more likely to happen early in the morning or late at night, when the least number of works are present. James C. Doherty gave a speech about the type of labor policies that he thought would make a better working institution. He said that the restaurant industry should move away from hiring young teenagers whom are not too skillful in their craft and instead hire more responsible and trustworthy adults. This would provide workers with a better wage than minimum wage and better benefits because the teenagers are considered part-time workers and receive no benefits. Schlosser said his ideas received a polite applause. Becoming a franchise is a combination of starting your own business and working for someone else. It involves one party not wanting to lose all of their money and one party wanting to expand their company. It works out well for both parties when the store is successful, but not so well when the store is unsuccessful. Whenever there is a fight the franchisor almost always wins which is not always fair, but that is how it works when it comes to being a franchisee.
Power and rankings is a focal point in chapters three and four. The workers are degraded by the franchisees due to their working status. In my opinion, the situation of the workers and franchisees are a cycle. The franchisees are overpowering the workers just as the franchisees’ bosses may act upon them. It is a reoccurring act among the working ladder.
The workers are determined to complete their task at hand due to their need for their job and money. By reason of the workers being of lower class society, and teenagers, the franchisees are able to uphold such power above the workers. The workers are willing to work in terrible and unsanitary fast food companies despite of treatment such as a lack of benefits, and low pay. Workers tend to suffer injuries and deal work in conditions that can be harmful to their health.
The franchisees work in better conditions than the personnel. Their job entails less work and energy, but they are given greater pay than the workers. They tend to prey upon the workers because they are aware of the workers situations and needs. Once again, a ranking takes a part in the organization of the fast food industry. Because of the franchisees position, they have the authority to force their “power” upon the workers. The franchisees are usually of an superior social class which has an effect on their character.
Although the workers and franchisees work under different circumstances and for different pay rates, they both depend upon one another for success. The franchisee depends on the worker for adequate working services to keep the restaurant incompliance for success. The worker depends on the franchisee to provide the restaurant and order to keep available jobs. Furthermore, these two parties have to put aside their differences and feelings to accommodate their personal needs. Sadly to say, this is how the world operates and continues to maneuver by social and working status.
In Chapter three, Schlosser highlights the poor working conditions of fast food industries employees. These are the people that are easily replaced. There are mainly teenagers that still reside with their parents. These are the people that are paid minimum wage. Clearly, these are the people that the employers do not care too much about. They only care about the amount of money these employees are bringing in. Therefore, the neglected are the ones who end up bruised, burned, cut, and hurt. They are also the ones who have to endure robberies, if they were to happen. These teenagers are the ones who end up having strict work schedules, thus creating stress if that schedule were to conflict with their school schedule.
However, if the person were to be a franchisee, the situation only gets slightly better. Just like the employee is under the authority of the employer, the franchisee is under the authority of the whole company. The franchisee “owns” the restaurant, but is not the true “owner”. The franchise also has to work to the satisfaction of the whole company. If their restaurant is not up to par with the company’s expectation, the company can take away the franchise’s lease of the restaurant. They do not have the freedom that everyone believes them to have.
Overall, the conditions and situations that the workers and the franchisee have are mainly similar. Both have people of higher authority they have to answer to. The only difference between the two is that the franchisee has better benefits, gets a higher pay, better ranking, and more power. It is quite amazing how impersonal this industry is. The fast food restaurants focus too much on efficiency, time, and uniformity, that they disregard the personal health and safety of their workers. In the end, the only person who achieves the positive outcome of these restaurants and franchises are the franchisors.
In chapter 3, Schlosser focuses on workers of a fast food restaurant. He talks about how the working conditions are very poor. These poor conditions are due to injuries such as falls, burns, cuts, and bruises. It can also have robberies which can lead to permanent injury or even death. Another bad thing is that most of these workers are inexperienced teenagers. The teens aren’t adults and still live under their parents so they get paid minimum wage which might be good enough for them or might not be helpful at all. Most workers would probably feel like it’s not much to work with but they do it anyway. Chapter 4 talks about franchisees through their point of view. A worker of a franchise can be similar to a franchise. Both worker and franchise have to obey rules. Workers have to obey rules in order to keep their job and franchisees have to obey rules in order to continue being a franchise. Another reason why they are alike is that they work under someone of more power. They both have bosses and they can be fired if they aren’t doing their jobs. What is different between a worker and a franchise owner is that workers get bad pay and bad working conditions while the franchiser gets a greater pay and gets to supervise or manage the workers. The amount of work that both positions do is different from each other. Even having things in common or having differences, the franchiser and the worker have to be able to get along and work with each other in order to maintain a running business which will bring lots of money. If business is good then there’s a chance that the workers can get better working conditions and maybe a raise in their paychecks.
When most people think of a fast food company, they may guess that the owner of the company is living the good life and the workers are struggling to get every penny. Well, this isn’t quite true. In fact fast food workers and franchisees (owners) have a lot in common, specifically their struggles from working under fast food corporations. Fast food workers are usually unskilled teenagers. Fast food workers receive minimum wage (low pay) and have long, and strenuous hours. With poor working conditions, there are bound to be several mistakes. With untrained workers there are about 200,000 teens injured on the job. Some of the most common injuries are falls, slips, strains and burns. The more violent effects coincided with the fast food industry’s growth. Today four in five workers are murdered, usually during a robbery. Surprisingly the fast food industry has a very high level of crime. Fast food workers are used completely for the fast food corporation’s benefit. Franchisees work entirely for the Franchisor. Franchisor almost always wins when it comes to having power. Franchisee’s want to start a business without doing it alone and risking everything on something that may or may not work. Franchisor’s come up with the major idea of the company and franchisees make sure everything is perfected. Franchisees simply obey the rules of the franchisor. Even though it sounds so simple t isn’t. Franchisees are used simply to expand the growth of the franchisor’s company. Franchisee’s are under the complete control of franchisors. One mess up or one idea changed and the franchisee can loose out on everything. Fast Food workers and Franchisees are differ based on their rank. Fast Food workers are on the lower part of the scale while Franchisees are on the upper part of the scale. However, each of them has similar struggles and is under the complete control of the fast food companies.
In Chapter three, Schlosser explains the conditions of the workers of many of the workers in fast food restaurants. He uses teenager Elisa Zamot as an example. She gets up before the sun even rises in the sky, sets up for the morning rush at McDonalds and takes orders for seven hours. By the end of her shift, she is exhausted. Elisa’s typical day is an example of most of the workers in the fast food industry. Most workers are under twenty years old. Many workers are Instead of hiring stable, well-paid, qualified, well-trained workers, the fast food industry would rather hire unskilled, part-time, underpaid workers in order to save money. There are many times that the managers will not let their workers work for over a certain number of hours to avoid overtime. Workers can be fired at a moment’s notice. There are also safety issues, especially working the night shift. Most people pay for their meal with cash, meaning there are sometimes thousands of dollars in the store. With two or three teenagers working the counter, it makes the store an easy target for robbery. However, the lower ranking positions do teach basic working skills, like arriving to work on time for example. In chapter four, Schlosser explains the conditions of the managers and the people that “own” these restaurants. He once again uses someone as an example, this time it is Dave Feamster. Instead of starting one’s own business, many people become managers of a franchise’s stores. Even though it costs a few thousand dollars, it is much cheaper and less risky to start with a recognizable name than a whole new brand. There are usually many company regulations on their stores so that every store in the franchise is exactly the same. Each store can also be closed at any time by order of the company. Each store also has to make a certain profit or they will be closed. At the end of the month, the company always keeps most of the money. In the end, both the worker and the franchisee are at the mercy of the company. They can both be fired at a moment’s notice. They both do not have job benefits besides their salary. Every worker in the stores must conform to the regulations set by the company or they will be fired.
In Chapter 3, Schlosser explains about the poor, hardworking conditions that workers, preferably teenagers, go through. He explains the workers wake up early in the morning and head off to work when the sky is still dark. They go to work, work hard, stand on their feet all morning, evening, and night. When they go home, they are exhausted so they sleep and then wake up the next morning and start the same routine. About two-thirds of the nation's fast food workers are under the age of twenty. Teenagers keep the restaurants going and even the managers and assistant managers are sometimes in their late teens. Instead of relying on a small, stable, well-paid, and well-trained workforce, the fast food industry looks for part-time, unskilled workers who accept low pay, and that is why most teenagers mostly work in fast food restaurants. Their youthful inexperience makes them easier to control. The pay is also very bad. A low minimum wage has long been a crucial part of the fast food industry's business plan. They are paid an hourly wage, provided no benefits, and are scheduled to work only as needed. Injuries are also common in the work place and it includes slips, falls, strains, and burns. The workers also have to deal with robberies and more workers were murdered on the job compared to police officers. The level of violent crime in the industry is surprisingly high.
In Chapter 4, Schlosser writes that becoming a franchisee is an odd combination of starting your own business and going to work for someone else. It is the desire by two parties to make money while avoiding risks. The franchisee wants to start his or her own business without going it alone and risking everything on a new idea. Franchisees work in better conditions and make more money.
The workers in fast food restaurants and the franchisees that "own" restaurants are similar because they both mostly work for the same companies. A popular example would be McDonald's. They are different because they are at a different place in society.
I have always been opposed to working in a fast food restaurant from the time I began working. The fast food industry have always been known for hiring high school students, with little pay giving them as little hours as possible to keep from paying works man compensation. There are many teenagers; however, that do not have the same mind frame as me looking at it as a job they can get easily without any skills. Eventually they have the desire to move up in there career path ultimately counting on a business degree in college in hopes to someday move up the hiring chain. The one thing over looked constantly is the fact the owner have in their mind that you are replaceable and no matter how much time you have devoted to their business you are just a mere human being next to another that may want your job more than you do. The employers’ today care mainly about their money, not about an employee who has just gotten burned, scrapped, or a broken back.
You would think the employers understand how similar they are to their employees. Just as the owners of these huge franchises were trying to move up in life so are their employers. These young teenagers are placed at times on graveyard shifts were they are more prone to robberies and dealing with drunken people. Schlosser applauded James C. Doherty when he mentioned how these restaurants should hire adults and not teenagers ultimately developing a more skillful group of workers. Fast food restaurants are the worst jobs to have. They pay minimum wage ,and work their employers like slave with as little benefits as possible.
In this chapter I learned about the life behind the counter of fast food restaurants. The effort that people put in at fast food places is very good and some take there job very serious. The money they make is not enough for the hard work they do. Especially for teens that are the work force of fast food restaurants because they are treated badly because of the young age and are not paid enough at all. Also another fact of fast food restaurants is that the workers rob there own job than any other job in the United States. Fast food places want unskilled young people so they can treat them horrible and give out low pay for long hours of hard labor. The companies want to even get rid of training period which I think is not very smart in my eyes. It is a shame that these fast food places want to mistreat struggling people. Two thirds of employees at fast food restaurants are under the age of twenty. Also every two hours a new fast food restaurant is opened and there are about sixty thousand operating restaurants in the United States. The author’s point in this informational chapter is to let u know the statistics of fast food places. The statistics show the bad over weighing the good because of how fast food employees are treated badly all over the United States. The owners of these fast food places and corporations are care free of others and employers. The owners only care for the profit of there business and the success of the company. Since many young people work here they probably do not respect there boss or owner because they are treated so unfairly with rigorous schedules and poor time management. Owner and employee are on two different levels in this zany fast food nation.
In chapter 3, Schlosser points out the working conditions of the fast food industries workers. In the work place, workers are manipulated, working in hazardous environments, and some suffer from psychological scarring. many of the fast food workers are injured on the job. The most common work place injuries are slips, falls, strains, and burns. Workers are also manipulated into working overtime for little to no pay. Violence is also seen in fast food restaurants. In 1998, more restaurant workers were murdered on the job than police officers. In chapter 4 we see that the even though the franchise owns the restaurants they are not in complete control. They are responsible for following certain rules so that their franchises are not taken away from them. The company that runs the franchise is in control and the owner is at their mercy. The company has the power to shut down the restaurants as they see fit. If enough money is not made in a months time the restaurant will most likely be closed. Looking at chapters 3 and 4 we can see that workers and owners of franchises aren't very different. They are both at the mercy of someone else when it comes to their jobs and the way they perform on the job determines if the restaurant will remain open. Unlike the owners of the franchise, the fast food workers are seen as a lower class and their working conditions are poorer than the conditions of the franchise owners.
Some of the similarities presented between chapter 3 and chapter 4 are the way the workers and owners are treated.They both have to work and satisfy the higher power above them. The workers must work hard to impress their bosses and the franchisees have to make sure everything is running smoothly in their facility to keep their job with the franchise.Both of these positions are at risk of losing their job if something goes wrong. They also work for a low pay. Many may assume that the franchisees would make a nice profit, but this is not so. Both the workers and the franchisees have to work long hours in harsh conditions. There is a risk of injury, but it is higher for the workers than the franchisees.
The differences shown between chapter 3 and 4 are the benefits offered by the positions and the amount of work that is accomplished. The franchisees have the ability to earn more money by working with another franchisee; whereas the workers are not allowed to team up to work together. The worker also has to do the majority of the work while the franchisee monitors. The amount of work that is done by the worker and the pay that is offered is not fair compared to the job and pay for the franchisee. The possibility of an inujry is also higher for a worker than it is for a franchisee. Since all the franchisee has to do is monitor, there is less of a risk of the franchisee getting hurt; whereas the worker who has to do a great deal of working in a small, hot and sometimes dirty enviornment has more risk to them. Ultimately, the fast food industry is not fair when it comes to the pay of their employees and the working conditions they are in.
Precious Ingram The people who work in the fast food business have many struggles that they have to deal with in order to keep their job and receive pay. Many of the workers who work in fast food are teenagers because they are usually part-time, unskilled workers who are willing to do the job for low pay. According to Schlosser over ninety percent of fast food workers are paid an hourly wage, provided no benfits, and scheduled to work only as needed. Many of these jobs usually no training is required for the jobs thus many of these workers can be easily replaced if they are not fulfilling their duties. The people who work in the fast food business are usually under the master of their Fast Food managers because according to Schlosser mangers have the power to hire, fire, and schedule workers. Many of these workers are forced to work in dangerous condition; these fast food workers are often hurt on the job from injuries such as falls, slips, strains, and burns. According to Schlosser these workers are also at risk of being rob while at work. These workers struggle to receive as much pay as possible without receiving benefits and risking their lives.
The franchisees like the fast food workers also have struggles that they have to face when opening or franchising a business. Just like the fast food workers franchisees have to do everything that is asked by their franchisor or manager unless their franchise will be taken away. This same struggle occurs with the workers because if they do not do the required work their boss has the right to fire them. The franchisees also must work or supervise the business to ensure that business owners are happy and pleased with their work. This is also required for the fast food workers; they must work efficiently and please every customer that places an order in their restaurant making their supervisor pleased with their work. The franchisees have struggles that deal with money and keeping their business afloat while the fast food workers have to deal with struggles on a more personal level. The franchisees have to compete with the franchisor for power, but the workers know that they do not have the power so they compete with others trying to obtain the fast food jobs. Fast food workers have to deal with getting injuries on the job while franchisees biggest worry is about supervising the works while making more money for their company. Both the franchisees and workers have struggles that they must face when entering the fast food business.
Working conditions in the fast food business are far from luxurious. Low pay, long hours, unsanitary surroundings, no benefits, and no real voice are just a few things that they deal with on the daily basis. There isn’t much education needed as an employee to the fast food industry. Nor is there much training needed. Mexicans that are looking for work trying to make living in a new country are the preferred workers for these people. This is because they have hardly any demands and are reliable. The workers and the franchisees are similar in the fact that they work for a higher power. They also both have a limited voice and could be fired at any time felt necessary by the higher power. The corporation is the head of it all, though. And they hate it when employees try to unionize to make pay and other things better for them. The corporation just looks at this as a waste of time and money. The franchisees’ jobs aren’t as gritty. Their pay is a bit more handsome than the workers as well.
In Chapter 3, Schlosser tells the poor conditions in fast food work places. The workers in the fast food industry have risky jobs. The fast food industry is mostly made up of teenagers. The teenager’s life is on the line when they’re at their work place. They are subject to cuts, bruising, falls, and robberies. The environment that these young adults work in can cause a lot of problems. Teenagers drop out of school to work at fast food restaurants. Some teenagers get a mindset that the money is better than them getting an education. These young adults are getting paid minimum wage to have a hard labor job. They may believe that this is enough money to take care of their needs and possibly their families. Some young are manipulated to believe that this is the way to go, and some are maybe forced to work at a young age to help their parents out. In Chapter 4, Schlosser tells us about franchisees and their point of view. This chapter explains that both the workers and the franchisers have rules to follow. The workers have to follow the rules so that their job isn’t taken from them and the franchiser has to follow the rulers so that their franchise isn’t taken away. Franchisers has to be mindful that their place is clean and is making enough profit because if not their business will be shut down by the company. The only differences between a worker and a franchiser are that a worker gets paid minimum wage and a franchiser gets a greater salary. The workers in fast food restaurants and the franchisees that "own" restaurants are similar because they both work for the same companies, one just has a higher name and gets acknowledged more than the other does.
Xavier Hill In Chapter 3 Schlosser takes about the working conditions of the fast food employee. Fast food workers must work quickly and efficently. They rarely get a chance to rest and they are always on their feet. Their work enviromnment is sometimes hazardous and consits of minor injuries such as falls, cuts, and burns.They have to work on the weekends,evenings, and holidays. The girl in the story worked early in the mornings. Students like her can arrange their work schedule around the classes. Fast food workers work less than 40 hours a week and have to wear uniforms. Workers are mostly teenagers and can be easily replaced because the work that they do requires minimal training and a skilled worker is not needed. In Chapter 4 they mention the franchise owners. Franchise owners handle paperwork, schedules, handle payroll expenses, and order inverntory. They handle the so called "dirty work" such as the firing, holding meetings, and dealing with unsatisfied customers. Owners try to keep everyone happy and keep their best interest at mind. Both fast food workers and franchise owners have bosses over them. The jobs are also tidious.Owners get paid more.
In Chapter 3, Schlosser states how many poor working conditions fast food restaurants have for their workers. These harsh working conditions can include burning yourself, slipping and falling on grease stains on the floor, or cutting themselves on sharp objects. Not only do these harsh working conditions apply to physical harm, they also include mental and emotional harm. Mental harm can include the rude customers and robbery. If a robbery occurs, the employees will be harmed forever. Also, the workers can be harmed physically by the robbers. The workers can also possibly get killed. This provides a life long scar for the employees. In Chapter 4, Schlosser explains the many problems that the francisees go through. Like the employees, the francisees pretty much work under the power of the corporations. The francisees are many times mistakenly referred to as the "owners" of the company. The francisees are at as much risk as the employees. The francisees rely mainly on the employees to do their job. If the employees do not perform to their full potential, the francisees will be blamed for whatever happened.
Anthony Poche
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 3, Schlosser makes a point to reveal the poor working conditions of the fast food industries workers. These workers are subject to unusually high risks while on the job. These risks include falls, burns, cuts, bruises, and robbery. Since these restaurants deal mostly with cash, criminals see it as the ideal target for a robbery. The result of this logic includes the loss of life on the job, serious injury, and/or psychological scarring. Since most of these workers are teenagers that still live with their parents, most fast food giants offer the minimum wage, no benefits, and rigid scheduling. This often alienates and demeans the workers in a way that they are only valued for their obedience and competence.
Chapter 4 sets out to inform the reader on the position of the franchisees. They are often referred to as “owners” but this is revealed to bu untrue. They are at the complete mercy of the corporation, who reserves the right to terminate a lease at anytime. Like the underprivileged workers, the franchisees are then valued solely on obedience and profit. The franchisees and workers are connected in a way that the franchisee’s success relies mainly on the performance of the workers and the workers must rely on themselves to keep the franchisee happy so that they can keep their jobs. This not only connects them but reveals a major difference in power which in turn shows other differences in job security, benefits, and income. Some franchisees also sometimes work together to maximize profits and success while the corporations explicitly prevent workers from unionizing and joining together in order to make demands for better working conditions. The franchisee and worker have quite a few differences in comparison but are also extremely alike because in the end they are still tools used by the fast food corporations to make money.
Minh Luan Nguyen
ReplyDeleteIn Chapters 3 and 4, Schlosser talks about the working conditions and challenges of both the workers and the franchisees. You may think that the owners of these fast food restaurants may have it easy while the workers do all the work, but it is a lot different than you may think. The workers have to deal with poor working conditions such as low pay, dangerous work environments, and risk of being in a robbery. These factors play a big role into why the workers have such a hard time doing their jobs. Sometimes, they get injuries such as cuts and bruises from falls, burns from cooking machines, and sometimes death if something really goes bad. The fact that they are getting paid minimum wage does not help in any way.
The workers and franchisees are both similar and different in many ways. For example, they are both working for a bigger power, which are the big companies such as McDonald's. The franchisees' depend on workers to fulfill the company's expectations while the workers must do a good job to keep their jobs. This interconnection between them makes them work together and they are on the same boat because of it. They are different, however, because the workers get paid minimum wage and do all of the crappy jobs, while the franchisee just has to supervise and guide the worker to make sure they are doing a good job.
Some fast food restaurant employees try to unionize and work together to maximize their benefits but the big companies does not want this to happen. This is because when the employees unite, they tend to revolt and fight against the companies to give them bigger paychecks and more benefits. To prevent this, they build a systematic way of how everything works. For example, McDonald's has a giant book they call the "Bible" that tells you how to do everything how they want you to do it. It is a strict code that the employees follow and it's a good tactic the companies use to keep everyone uniform.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteChinedu Echebelem
ReplyDeleteChapter 3 is highlighted by Schlosser’s detailed writing on the poor working conditions and horrid circumstances of the fast food industries workers. With majority of the fast food industries workers being teenagers, you would think that safety would be a high concern. Instead, these teenagers are subject to cuts, falls, burn, and robberies that can lead to their own death. Many of these teenagers also experience stress on the job. It is sometimes difficult for these teenagers to receive enough hours that don’t conflict with their school hours, which leads to them performing poorly in school, or just dropping out completely. They believe that the will be able to support themselves and their family with their job, however they are oblivious to the fact that they are paid minimum wage. In addition, most of the workers are classified as part-time employees, so they take on the disadvantage of no benefits, which is detrimental to the worker.
Chapter 4 insights the reader on the franchisee’s prospective on building a successful franchise. Many of which are very similar to the worker of the franchise. A franchisee has to sacrifice some of their independence to obey the company’s rules, which is similar to how a worker complies with the rules to their job. A franchisee is thought of as the owner; however they are under the higher power of the existing company, who has the ability to fire them at any time. The franchisee has to keep the franchisor happy, as the worker has to keep the customers happy to ensure the flow of money. They are also alike in the sense that most fast food workers don’t have much, if any, education. Many franchisees are in this same boat, but instead take a bigger risk with their idea. Yet, there are significant differences, which include the success of the franchisee vs. a worker’s success. The franchisee’s pay check is meaningfully greater and so are their benefits. Nonetheless, the similarities outweigh the differences of the struggles of both the worker and the franchisee.
In Chapter 3 Schlosser discusses the poor conditions that young American teen and other fast food employees are working in. He states the bulk of the fast food industries are young adults who are being paid minimum wage ,and the poor conditions that these workers are working in. The workers behind the counters of these fast food giants are working eight hours a day for minimum wage and often without any benefits or paid overtime. The poor conditions that the employees work in just don't end with a low pay scale ,but they are also subject to a high risk of injury and harm while on the job whether it be from a grease burn or a robbery. The results from the poor treatment of these workers can often lead to death because of the low pay scale and the horrible environment that they have to work in.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 4 Schlosser changes the perspective to the franchisee's point of view. Most believe that by franchising a corporation like McDonalds you are the owner of that business but that is false. A business requires the franchisee to pay the start up cost for the business and if the company was not to be a success then the corporation doesn't have to pay. This puts the burden of a loss completely of the franchisee not the corporation. The corporation also reserves the right to terminate the lease of the franchise if they feel the need to. The only major differences between the workers and the franchises is the pay, the benefits and hours. The similarities between workers and franchises are that in the end they depend on each other to make money and the corporation depends in them to make money. All in all ,the fast food industries' employees and franchises are the ones who will lose more than the corporation for a franchises' failure to succeed.
Taylor Reuther
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 4 Schlosser discusses many tragedies that happen while fast food employees are working. Teenagers are twice as likely to experience injuries than adult workers. This is because teenagers are far less trained which means they are more likely to be injured just because of their lack of skill. Slips, falls, burns, and strains are the most common injuries workers experience. Since fast food restaurants use mostly cash compared to using credit card, this makes it a high robbery contestant. Roughly four or five fast food workers are murdered every month on the job usually during the course of a robbery. It’s very surprising that more fast food works are murdered on the job than police officers. A robbery is more likely to happen early in the morning or late at night, when the least number of works are present.
James C. Doherty gave a speech about the type of labor policies that he thought would make a better working institution. He said that the restaurant industry should move away from hiring young teenagers whom are not too skillful in their craft and instead hire more responsible and trustworthy adults. This would provide workers with a better wage than minimum wage and better benefits because the teenagers are considered part-time workers and receive no benefits. Schlosser said his ideas received a polite applause.
Becoming a franchise is a combination of starting your own business and working for someone else. It involves one party not wanting to lose all of their money and one party wanting to expand their company. It works out well for both parties when the store is successful, but not so well when the store is unsuccessful. Whenever there is a fight the franchisor almost always wins which is not always fair, but that is how it works when it comes to being a franchisee.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePower and rankings is a focal point in chapters three and four. The workers are degraded by the franchisees due to their working status. In my opinion, the situation of the workers and franchisees are a cycle. The franchisees are overpowering the workers just as the franchisees’ bosses may act upon them. It is a reoccurring act among the working ladder.
ReplyDeleteThe workers are determined to complete their task at hand due to their need for their job and money. By reason of the workers being of lower class society, and teenagers, the franchisees are able to uphold such power above the workers. The workers are willing to work in terrible and unsanitary fast food companies despite of treatment such as a lack of benefits, and low pay. Workers tend to suffer injuries and deal work in conditions that can be harmful to their health.
The franchisees work in better conditions than the personnel. Their job entails less work and energy, but they are given greater pay than the workers. They tend to prey upon the workers because they are aware of the workers situations and needs. Once again, a ranking takes a part in the organization of the fast food industry. Because of the franchisees position, they have the authority to force their “power” upon the workers. The franchisees are usually of an superior social class which has an effect on their character.
Although the workers and franchisees work under different circumstances and for different pay rates, they both depend upon one another for success. The franchisee depends on the worker for adequate working services to keep the restaurant incompliance for success. The worker depends on the franchisee to provide the restaurant and order to keep available jobs. Furthermore, these two parties have to put aside their differences and feelings to accommodate their personal needs. Sadly to say, this is how the world operates and continues to maneuver by social and working status.
Nancy Pham
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter three, Schlosser highlights the poor working conditions of fast food industries employees. These are the people that are easily replaced. There are mainly teenagers that still reside with their parents. These are the people that are paid minimum wage. Clearly, these are the people that the employers do not care too much about. They only care about the amount of money these employees are bringing in. Therefore, the neglected are the ones who end up bruised, burned, cut, and hurt. They are also the ones who have to endure robberies, if they were to happen. These teenagers are the ones who end up having strict work schedules, thus creating stress if that schedule were to conflict with their school schedule.
However, if the person were to be a franchisee, the situation only gets slightly better. Just like the employee is under the authority of the employer, the franchisee is under the authority of the whole company. The franchisee “owns” the restaurant, but is not the true “owner”. The franchise also has to work to the satisfaction of the whole company. If their restaurant is not up to par with the company’s expectation, the company can take away the franchise’s lease of the restaurant. They do not have the freedom that everyone believes them to have.
Overall, the conditions and situations that the workers and the franchisee have are mainly similar. Both have people of higher authority they have to answer to. The only difference between the two is that the franchisee has better benefits, gets a higher pay, better ranking, and more power. It is quite amazing how impersonal this industry is. The fast food restaurants focus too much on efficiency, time, and uniformity, that they disregard the personal health and safety of their workers. In the end, the only person who achieves the positive outcome of these restaurants and franchises are the franchisors.
Peter Huynh
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 3, Schlosser focuses on workers of a fast food restaurant. He talks about how the working conditions are very poor. These poor conditions are due to injuries such as falls, burns, cuts, and bruises. It can also have robberies which can lead to permanent injury or even death. Another bad thing is that most of these workers are inexperienced teenagers. The teens aren’t adults and still live under their parents so they get paid minimum wage which might be good enough for them or might not be helpful at all. Most workers would probably feel like it’s not much to work with but they do it anyway.
Chapter 4 talks about franchisees through their point of view. A worker of a franchise can be similar to a franchise. Both worker and franchise have to obey rules. Workers have to obey rules in order to keep their job and franchisees have to obey rules in order to continue being a franchise. Another reason why they are alike is that they work under someone of more power. They both have bosses and they can be fired if they aren’t doing their jobs. What is different between a worker and a franchise owner is that workers get bad pay and bad working conditions while the franchiser gets a greater pay and gets to supervise or manage the workers. The amount of work that both positions do is different from each other. Even having things in common or having differences, the franchiser and the worker have to be able to get along and work with each other in order to maintain a running business which will bring lots of money. If business is good then there’s a chance that the workers can get better working conditions and maybe a raise in their paychecks.
Kierra Hitchens
ReplyDeleteWhen most people think of a fast food company, they may guess that the owner of the company is living the good life and the workers are struggling to get every penny. Well, this isn’t quite true. In fact fast food workers and franchisees (owners) have a lot in common, specifically their struggles from working under fast food corporations.
Fast food workers are usually unskilled teenagers. Fast food workers receive minimum wage (low pay) and have long, and strenuous hours. With poor working conditions, there are bound to be several mistakes. With untrained workers there are about 200,000 teens injured on the job. Some of the most common injuries are falls, slips, strains and burns. The more violent effects coincided with the fast food industry’s growth. Today four in five workers are murdered, usually during a robbery. Surprisingly the fast food industry has a very high level of crime. Fast food workers are used completely for the fast food corporation’s benefit.
Franchisees work entirely for the Franchisor. Franchisor almost always wins when it comes to having power. Franchisee’s want to start a business without doing it alone and risking everything on something that may or may not work. Franchisor’s come up with the major idea of the company and franchisees make sure everything is perfected. Franchisees simply obey the rules of the franchisor. Even though it sounds so simple t isn’t. Franchisees are used simply to expand the growth of the franchisor’s company. Franchisee’s are under the complete control of franchisors. One mess up or one idea changed and the franchisee can loose out on everything.
Fast Food workers and Franchisees are differ based on their rank. Fast Food workers are on the lower part of the scale while Franchisees are on the upper part of the scale. However, each of them has similar struggles and is under the complete control of the fast food companies.
Mahalia Dees
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter three, Schlosser explains the conditions of the workers of many of the workers in fast food restaurants. He uses teenager Elisa Zamot as an example. She gets up before the sun even rises in the sky, sets up for the morning rush at McDonalds and takes orders for seven hours. By the end of her shift, she is exhausted. Elisa’s typical day is an example of most of the workers in the fast food industry. Most workers are under twenty years old. Many workers are Instead of hiring stable, well-paid, qualified, well-trained workers, the fast food industry would rather hire unskilled, part-time, underpaid workers in order to save money. There are many times that the managers will not let their workers work for over a certain number of hours to avoid overtime. Workers can be fired at a moment’s notice. There are also safety issues, especially working the night shift. Most people pay for their meal with cash, meaning there are sometimes thousands of dollars in the store. With two or three teenagers working the counter, it makes the store an easy target for robbery. However, the lower ranking positions do teach basic working skills, like arriving to work on time for example.
In chapter four, Schlosser explains the conditions of the managers and the people that “own” these restaurants. He once again uses someone as an example, this time it is Dave Feamster. Instead of starting one’s own business, many people become managers of a franchise’s stores. Even though it costs a few thousand dollars, it is much cheaper and less risky to start with a recognizable name than a whole new brand. There are usually many company regulations on their stores so that every store in the franchise is exactly the same. Each store can also be closed at any time by order of the company. Each store also has to make a certain profit or they will be closed. At the end of the month, the company always keeps most of the money.
In the end, both the worker and the franchisee are at the mercy of the company. They can both be fired at a moment’s notice. They both do not have job benefits besides their salary. Every worker in the stores must conform to the regulations set by the company or they will be fired.
Anh Phuong Dang
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 3, Schlosser explains about the poor, hardworking conditions that workers, preferably teenagers, go through. He explains the workers wake up early in the morning and head off to work when the sky is still dark. They go to work, work hard, stand on their feet all morning, evening, and night. When they go home, they are exhausted so they sleep and then wake up the next morning and start the same routine. About two-thirds of the nation's fast food workers are under the age of twenty. Teenagers keep the restaurants going and even the managers and assistant managers are sometimes in their late teens. Instead of relying on a small, stable, well-paid, and well-trained workforce, the fast food industry looks for part-time, unskilled workers who accept low pay, and that is why most teenagers mostly work in fast food restaurants. Their youthful inexperience makes them easier to control. The pay is also very bad. A low minimum wage has long been a crucial part of the fast food industry's business plan. They are paid an hourly wage, provided no benefits, and are scheduled to work only as needed. Injuries are also common in the work place and it includes slips, falls, strains, and burns. The workers also have to deal with robberies and more workers were murdered on the job compared to police officers. The level of violent crime in the industry is surprisingly high.
In Chapter 4, Schlosser writes that becoming a franchisee is an odd combination of starting your own business and going to work for someone else. It is the desire by two parties to make money while avoiding risks. The franchisee wants to start his or her own business without going it alone and risking everything on a new idea. Franchisees work in better conditions and make more money.
The workers in fast food restaurants and the franchisees that "own" restaurants are similar because they both mostly work for the same companies. A popular example would be McDonald's. They are different because they are at a different place in society.
Asia Harris
ReplyDeleteI have always been opposed to working in a fast food restaurant from the time I began working. The fast food industry have always been known for hiring high school students, with little pay giving them as little hours as possible to keep from paying works man compensation. There are many teenagers; however, that do not have the same mind frame as me looking at it as a job they can get easily without any skills. Eventually they have the desire to move up in there career path ultimately counting on a business degree in college in hopes to someday move up the hiring chain. The one thing over looked constantly is the fact the owner have in their mind that you are replaceable and no matter how much time you have devoted to their business you are just a mere human being next to another that may want your job more than you do. The employers’ today care mainly about their money, not about an employee who has just gotten burned, scrapped, or a broken back.
You would think the employers understand how similar they are to their employees. Just as the owners of these huge franchises were trying to move up in life so are their employers. These young teenagers are placed at times on graveyard shifts were they are more prone to robberies and dealing with drunken people. Schlosser applauded James C. Doherty when he mentioned how these restaurants should hire adults and not teenagers ultimately developing a more skillful group of workers. Fast food restaurants are the worst jobs to have. They pay minimum wage ,and work their employers like slave with as little benefits as possible.
Brandon Ofili
ReplyDeleteBlog 5
In this chapter I learned about the life behind the counter of fast food restaurants. The effort that people put in at fast food places is very good and some take there job very serious. The money they make is not enough for the hard work they do. Especially for teens that are the work force of fast food restaurants because they are treated badly because of the young age and are not paid enough at all. Also another fact of fast food restaurants is that the workers rob there own job than any other job in the United States. Fast food places want unskilled young people so they can treat them horrible and give out low pay for long hours of hard labor. The companies want to even get rid of training period which I think is not very smart in my eyes. It is a shame that these fast food places want to mistreat struggling people. Two thirds of employees at fast food restaurants are under the age of twenty. Also every two hours a new fast food restaurant is opened and there are about sixty thousand operating restaurants in the United States. The author’s point in this informational chapter is to let u know the statistics of fast food places. The statistics show the bad over weighing the good because of how fast food employees are treated badly all over the United States. The owners of these fast food places and corporations are care free of others and employers. The owners only care for the profit of there business and the success of the company. Since many young people work here they probably do not respect there boss or owner because they are treated so unfairly with rigorous schedules and poor time management. Owner and employee are on two different levels in this zany fast food nation.
In chapter 3, Schlosser points out the working conditions of the fast food industries workers. In the work place, workers are manipulated, working in hazardous environments, and some suffer from psychological scarring. many of the fast food workers are injured on the job. The most common work place injuries are slips, falls, strains, and burns. Workers are also manipulated into working overtime for little to no pay. Violence is also seen in fast food restaurants. In 1998, more restaurant workers were murdered on the job than police officers.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 4 we see that the even though the franchise owns the restaurants they are not in complete control. They are responsible for following certain rules so that their franchises are not taken away from them. The company that runs the franchise is in control and the owner is at their mercy. The company has the power to shut down the restaurants as they see fit. If enough money is not made in a months time the restaurant will most likely be closed.
Looking at chapters 3 and 4 we can see that workers and owners of franchises aren't very different. They are both at the mercy of someone else when it comes to their jobs and the way they perform on the job determines if the restaurant will remain open. Unlike the owners of the franchise, the fast food workers are seen as a lower class and their working conditions are poorer than the conditions of the franchise owners.
Charity Crain
ReplyDeleteSome of the similarities presented between chapter 3 and chapter 4 are the way the workers and owners are treated.They both have to work and satisfy the higher power above them. The workers must work hard to impress their bosses and the franchisees have to make sure everything is running smoothly in their facility to keep their job with the franchise.Both of these positions are at risk of losing their job if something goes wrong. They also work for a low pay. Many may assume that the franchisees would make a nice profit, but this is not so. Both the workers and the franchisees have to work long hours in harsh conditions. There is a risk of injury, but it is higher for the workers than the franchisees.
The differences shown between chapter 3 and 4 are the benefits offered by the positions and the amount of work that is accomplished. The franchisees have the ability to earn more money by working with another franchisee; whereas the workers are not allowed to team up to work together. The worker also has to do the majority of the work while the franchisee monitors. The amount of work that is done by the worker and the pay that is offered is not fair compared to the job and pay for the franchisee. The possibility of an inujry is also higher for a worker than it is for a franchisee. Since all the franchisee has to do is monitor, there is less of a risk of the franchisee getting hurt; whereas the worker who has to do a great deal of working in a small, hot and sometimes dirty enviornment has more risk to them. Ultimately, the fast food industry is not fair when it comes to the pay of their employees and the working conditions they are in.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePrecious Ingram
ReplyDeleteThe people who work in the fast food business have many struggles that they have to deal with in order to keep their job and receive pay. Many of the workers who work in fast food are teenagers because they are usually part-time, unskilled workers who are willing to do the job for low pay. According to Schlosser over ninety percent of fast food workers are paid an hourly wage, provided no benfits, and scheduled to work only as needed. Many of these jobs usually no training is required for the jobs thus many of these workers can be easily replaced if they are not fulfilling their duties. The people who work in the fast food business are usually under the master of their Fast Food managers because according to Schlosser mangers have the power to hire, fire, and schedule workers. Many of these workers are forced to work in dangerous condition; these fast food workers are often hurt on the job from injuries such as falls, slips, strains, and burns. According to Schlosser these workers are also at risk of being rob while at work. These workers struggle to receive as much pay as possible without receiving benefits and risking their lives.
The franchisees like the fast food workers also have struggles that they have to face when opening or franchising a business. Just like the fast food workers franchisees have to do everything that is asked by their franchisor or manager unless their franchise will be taken away. This same struggle occurs with the workers because if they do not do the required work their boss has the right to fire them. The franchisees also must work or supervise the business to ensure that business owners are happy and pleased with their work. This is also required for the fast food workers; they must work efficiently and please every customer that places an order in their restaurant making their supervisor pleased with their work. The franchisees have struggles that deal with money and keeping their business afloat while the fast food workers have to deal with struggles on a more personal level. The franchisees have to compete with the franchisor for power, but the workers know that they do not have the power so they compete with others trying to obtain the fast food jobs. Fast food workers have to deal with getting injuries on the job while franchisees biggest worry is about supervising the works while making more money for their company. Both the franchisees and workers have struggles that they must face when entering the fast food business.
TaiRhe Turner
ReplyDeleteWorking conditions in the fast food business are far from luxurious. Low pay, long hours, unsanitary surroundings, no benefits, and no real voice are just a few things that they deal with on the daily basis. There isn’t much education needed as an employee to the fast food industry. Nor is there much training needed. Mexicans that are looking for work trying to make living in a new country are the preferred workers for these people. This is because they have hardly any demands and are reliable. The workers and the franchisees are similar in the fact that they work for a higher power. They also both have a limited voice and could be fired at any time felt necessary by the higher power. The corporation is the head of it all, though. And they hate it when employees try to unionize to make pay and other things better for them. The corporation just looks at this as a waste of time and money. The franchisees’ jobs aren’t as gritty. Their pay is a bit more handsome than the workers as well.
In Chapter 3, Schlosser tells the poor conditions in fast food work places. The workers in the fast food industry have risky jobs. The fast food industry is mostly made up of teenagers. The teenager’s life is on the line when they’re at their work place. They are subject to cuts, bruising, falls, and robberies. The environment that these young adults work in can cause a lot of problems. Teenagers drop out of school to work at fast food restaurants. Some teenagers get a mindset that the money is better than them getting an education. These young adults are getting paid minimum wage to have a hard labor job. They may believe that this is enough money to take care of their needs and possibly their families. Some young are manipulated to believe that this is the way to go, and some are maybe forced to work at a young age to help their parents out.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 4, Schlosser tells us about franchisees and their point of view. This chapter explains that both the workers and the franchisers have rules to follow. The workers have to follow the rules so that their job isn’t taken from them and the franchiser has to follow the rulers so that their franchise isn’t taken away. Franchisers has to be mindful that their place is clean and is making enough profit because if not their business will be shut down by the company. The only differences between a worker and a franchiser are that a worker gets paid minimum wage and a franchiser gets a greater salary. The workers in fast food restaurants and the franchisees that "own" restaurants are similar because they both work for the same companies, one just has a higher name and gets acknowledged more than the other does.
jasldkasdg
ReplyDeleteXavier Hill
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 3 Schlosser takes about the working conditions of the fast food employee. Fast food workers must work quickly and efficently. They rarely get a chance to rest and they are always on their feet. Their work enviromnment is sometimes hazardous and consits of minor injuries such as falls, cuts, and burns.They have to work on the weekends,evenings, and holidays. The girl in the story worked early in the mornings. Students like her can arrange their work schedule around the classes. Fast food workers work less than 40 hours a week and have to wear uniforms. Workers are mostly teenagers and can be easily replaced because the work that they do requires minimal training and a skilled worker is not needed.
In Chapter 4 they mention the franchise owners. Franchise owners handle paperwork, schedules, handle payroll expenses, and order inverntory. They handle the so called "dirty work" such as the firing, holding meetings, and dealing with unsatisfied customers. Owners try to keep everyone happy and keep their best interest at mind.
Both fast food workers and franchise owners have bosses over them. The jobs are also tidious.Owners get paid more.
In Chapter 3, Schlosser states how many poor working conditions fast food restaurants have for their workers. These harsh working conditions can include burning yourself, slipping and falling on grease stains on the floor, or cutting themselves on sharp objects. Not only do these harsh working conditions apply to physical harm, they also include mental and emotional harm. Mental harm can include the rude customers and robbery. If a robbery occurs, the employees will be harmed forever. Also, the workers can be harmed physically by the robbers. The workers can also possibly get killed. This provides a life long scar for the employees.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 4, Schlosser explains the many problems that the francisees go through. Like the employees, the francisees pretty much work under the power of the corporations. The francisees are many times mistakenly referred to as the "owners" of the company. The francisees are at as much risk as the employees. The francisees rely mainly on the employees to do their job. If the employees do not perform to their full potential, the francisees will be blamed for whatever happened.