Your employer is ORG Wisco LLC, a Wisconsin limited liability company and an independently owned and operated franchisee of McDonald’s USA, LLC. ORG Wisco LLC is part of Our Restaurant Group (ORG), whose parent company is ORG Holdings Inc. Our crew and managers know us as MCD Wisco. In this handbook, “ORG,” “MCD Wisco,” “the Company,” “we” and “us” all mean ORG Wisco LLC and any affiliated ORG restaurant company that adopts this handbook.

McDonald’s Corporation and McDonald’s USA, LLC are not your employer. They do not hire, schedule, pay, supervise or discipline anyone who works for us, and they do not set our employment policies. Every decision about your job is made by ORG.

As we add restaurants, the current list lives in the Restaurant Directory and in the MCD Wisco team app.

Your first stop for almost anything is your shift manager or General Manager. If they can’t help, or the issue involves them, go straight to the next level. You never need anyone’s permission to do that.

The next level is our Restaurant Support Team, or RST. You run the restaurants. The RST is here to make sure you have what you need to do it well, whether that’s a paycheck that’s right, equipment that works, or someone to call when a shift gets tough.

This handbook applies to every employee of every ORG restaurant in Wisconsin, from crew through General Manager, full-time and part-time. It replaces any policy or practice of any prior owner of these restaurants.

The handbook covers how we work. A few things change often enough that we keep them in separate documents, so the handbook itself doesn’t need reprinting every time they move:

No handbook can answer every question. When something isn’t covered, ask your manager, and we will use good judgment and follow the law. Where a federal, state or local law gives you more rights than this handbook describes, the law wins. If any part of this handbook ever conflicts with the law, the rest of it still applies, and nothing here waives a right the law says can’t be waived.

We may update, add to or remove any policy, benefit or practice in this handbook at any time, except the at-will policy, which can only be changed as described in that section. When we make a change, we will let you know and update the version in the team app. The online version is always the current one.

This handbook is a guide. It is not a contract of employment, and nothing in it promises employment for any length of time or guarantees any particular benefit or procedure.

Employment with ORG is at will. You can leave at any time, for any reason, with or without notice, and ORG can end the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice, for any lawful reason. Nothing in this handbook, in a job description, in a pay or benefit document, or in anything a manager says changes that. The only way to change at-will status is a written agreement, addressed to you by name, that expressly says you are no longer employed at will and is signed by the Owner/Operator.

We hire, train, schedule, pay, promote and discipline based on the job and how people do it. ORG does not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of:

race, color, creed or religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information or genetic testing, marital status, military service, veteran status, arrest record, conviction record (unless the conviction is substantially related to the job, as Wisconsin law defines it), honesty testing, use or nonuse of lawful products (such as tobacco or alcohol) off our premises during nonworking hours, declining to attend a meeting or take part in a communication about religious or political matters, or any other characteristic protected by federal, Wisconsin or local law.

This applies to everything about your job: hiring, scheduling, hours, training, pay, benefits, promotion, discipline and separation. Any background check we run follows the law.

If you need a change at work because of a disability, pregnancy, childbirth or a related condition, or a sincerely held religious belief or practice, tell your General Manager or Brian Williams, Director of Operations. You don’t need to use any particular words or put it in writing, though writing it down helps. We will talk with you about what you need and what will work in the restaurant, and we will provide a reasonable accommodation unless it would cause undue hardship. We may ask for medical information when the law allows it, and we keep it confidential and separate from your personnel file.

Examples of things we can often do: adjust schedules or stations, allow extra water or rest breaks, provide a stool, adjust uniform or grooming rules for religious reasons, and give time off for medical appointments. We follow the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, so a limitation related to pregnancy or childbirth can be accommodated even when it isn’t a disability.

For up to one year after your child’s birth, you are entitled to reasonable break time to express breast milk, as often as you need it, in a private space that is not a restroom, shielded from view and free from interruption. Tell your GM and they will arrange the space and your break schedule. If you are hourly and the break runs longer than our paid rest breaks, the extra time may be unpaid, unless you are not fully relieved of duty, in which case it is paid. You don’t need a doctor’s note to take pumping breaks.

Federal law requires every new team member to complete Form I-9. You complete Section 1 no later than your first day of paid work, and we complete Section 2 within three business days of that day. You choose which documents to show from the official list of acceptable documents. We will never ask for more or different documents than the law requires, or turn down documents that reasonably appear genuine. If you can’t show you’re authorized to work in the U.S. within the time the law allows, we will take the action the law requires, which may include ending your employment.

Everyone who works here deserves to come to work without being harassed, threatened or put down. ORG prohibits harassment of employees, applicants, guests and vendors based on any characteristic listed in the equal opportunity section. The rule covers conduct in the restaurant, in the parking lot, at company events, in group chats and texts, and on social media when it affects work. It applies to everyone: crew, managers, owners, guests, vendors and delivery drivers.

Harassment can be spoken, written, physical or visual. It includes slurs, jokes or comments about someone’s protected characteristic, unwanted touching, displaying or sending offensive images, and threats.

Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, comments about someone’s body or sex life, and any other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature, as well as hostile conduct aimed at someone because of their sex or gender. It is also sexual harassment when anyone suggests that a schedule, a raise, a promotion or anything else about your job depends on going along with it.

You don’t have to wait until conduct is severe or repeated before you report it. We would rather hear about it early.

Tell any of these people, in person or by email:

1. 01Your General Manager
2. 02Brian Williams, Director of Operations: brian.williams@us.stores.mcd.com

You can skip anyone in that list, including anyone involved in the problem. Any manager who sees harassment or hears about it must report it to Brian Williams, Director of Operations, immediately.

We take every report seriously. We will look into it promptly and fairly, talk with the people involved and any witnesses, and keep the information as private as we can while still investigating properly. When we find a policy was broken, we will act to stop it, up to and including termination, and we will tell you when the investigation is finished.

You also have the right to file a complaint with the Wisconsin Equal Rights Division or the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Everyone involved in an investigation must cooperate and tell the truth. Knowingly making a false report, or lying during an investigation, is itself a violation of this policy. A report made in good faith that can’t be proven is never a violation. Investigations are documented in writing.

Employees complete harassment prevention training, and managers receive additional training on preventing, recognizing and responding to harassment.

No one may be punished, have hours cut, get worse shifts or be treated worse in any way for reporting a concern in good faith, taking part in an investigation, requesting an accommodation, taking protected leave, filing a workers’ compensation claim, raising a pay or safety concern, or filing a complaint with a government agency. Retaliation is a serious violation of this handbook. If you believe it is happening to you, report it the same way you would report harassment.

Our restaurant positions, from entry level up, are Crew, Crew Trainer, Maintenance, Shift Manager Trainee, Shift Manager, Department Manager, Assistant General Manager and General Manager. Pay ranges for each are in the Pay Guide.

Every position is classified as either non-exempt or exempt under federal and Wisconsin wage law. Non-exempt employees are paid for every hour worked and earn overtime. Exempt employees are paid a salary, meet the legal tests for exemption and do not earn overtime. Your offer letter or GM will tell you which you are.

For scheduling, you are full-time if you are regularly scheduled 30 or more hours per week and part-time if fewer. Eligibility for specific benefits is spelled out in the Benefits Guide, and it follows the plan documents and the law.

Your first 90 days are a time for training and for both of us to see how the fit is working. Your manager will train you and give you feedback along the way. Finishing the 90 days does not change your at-will status or guarantee continued employment.

We like to promote from within when we can. If you want to move up, tell your GM, who can talk with you about what the next role requires. Promotions depend on openings, business needs and performance, and are never guaranteed.

We hire team members as young as 14 and follow every federal and Wisconsin law that protects them. These rules are not optional and no manager may schedule around them. When state and federal rules differ, we follow whichever gives the minor more protection.

Everyone under 18 must give us their date of birth when hired, and we keep a record of each minor’s age and hours. Team members who are 14 or 15 must have a Wisconsin employment of minors permit that names ORG before their first shift. A permit issued for a previous employer, including the prior owner of these restaurants, does not carry over. ORG reimburses the permit fee.

Minors may not do work that the law treats as hazardous. In our restaurants that means, among other things, no one under 18 operates, cleans or adjusts a power-driven slicer, mixer or grinder, uses a trash compactor or baler, drives a vehicle for work, or works on a ladder. Team members who are 14 or 15 may cook only with equipment the law allows, such as fryers with automatic basket lifts, and may not bake, work in freezers or coolers except to briefly retrieve items, or clean or maintain cooking equipment while it is hot. Managers check the current minor-task chart before assigning a minor to unfamiliar equipment or tasks.

Managers must verify age, get any required permit and assign only lawful hours and duties before a minor starts work. A manager may not assign a minor a task just because the minor is willing to do it.

Our workweek runs from Wednesday at 12:00 a.m. through Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. Overtime and weekly hour limits are counted on this workweek.

If you are non-exempt, you are paid for every minute you work, and you must record all of it. Clock in when you start working and clock out when you stop, including for unpaid meal periods. Never work off the clock, before you clock in, after you clock out, or on a break, and no manager may ask you to. That includes counting drawers, closing tasks, training, required meetings, and answering work texts or calls when you’re not scheduled.

Clock in and out only for yourself. Clocking in or out for anyone else, or asking someone to do it for you, is falsifying time records.

You may be asked at the end of a shift to confirm that your recorded time is complete, that you did no work off the clock, and that you received your meal periods. Answer honestly. If anything is missing or wrong, say so right then and tell your manager. It will be corrected and paid, and you will not be disciplined for reporting it. Knowingly giving a false confirmation is falsifying time records.

Mistakes happen. If you forget to punch, punch wrong, or see an error on your time record or pay statement, tell your manager right away. A manager may correct a time record only with your knowledge and agreement, and you may be asked to initial the correction. If you and your manager can’t agree, take it to your GM, then Brian Williams, Director of Operations. You will be paid for all time you actually worked, and no one will be disciplined for reporting a pay or time problem.

Non-exempt employees earn one and one-half times their regular rate for every hour over 40 in a workweek. Team members who are 16 or 17 also earn overtime for any hours over 10 in a single day. Managers must approve overtime in advance, but you will always be paid for overtime you work, approved or not. Working unapproved overtime can be addressed as an attendance or conduct issue. It never means going unpaid.

Adults are not scheduled for separate paid rest breaks. Any break shorter than 30 minutes is paid and you stay on the clock.

When your shift is longer than 5 hours, you will be scheduled for a 30-minute meal period. Meal periods are unpaid only when they last at least 30 minutes, you are fully relieved of all duties, and you are free to leave the restaurant. If you are interrupted or asked to do any work during a meal period, tell your manager so the full period is paid. Team members under 18 must receive a 30-minute duty-free meal period before working more than 6 consecutive hours, with no exceptions.

Managers are responsible for making sure breaks and meal periods happen. If they aren’t happening, tell your GM or Brian Williams, Director of Operations.

You are paid every other Monday for all hours worked through the end of the previous pay period. The pay calendar is in the Pay Guide and posted in the restaurant. If payday falls on a bank holiday, you will be paid the business day before. Every pay period, you will receive a pay statement showing your hours, rate, gross pay and every deduction.

You choose how to receive your pay. You may choose direct deposit to a bank or credit union account of your choice, or a payroll card that we provide at no cost to you. Using the payroll card is voluntary and never a condition of employment. You can access your full pay on the card at least once each pay period without a fee, and you will receive a written list of any card fees before you choose it. You may change your choice at any time by telling your GM or payroll.

We deduct taxes and anything the law requires, such as court-ordered garnishments or child support, plus anything you authorize in writing, such as insurance premiums if you are enrolled.

Under Wisconsin law, ORG will not deduct anything from your pay for a cash shortage, a mistake, a damaged or lost item, or unreturned company property unless you authorize that specific deduction in writing after the incident, or unless the law otherwise permits it. You will never be asked to pay back a shortage from your own pocket. If you believe a deduction is wrong, tell your GM or payroll and we will review it and correct any error.

Performance and pay reviews may happen periodically, typically twice a year. The timing of a review doesn’t guarantee a raise, promotion, bonus or continued employment. Pay decisions are at ORG’s discretion, based on performance, your position’s pay range and the law.

We build schedules around your availability, the restaurant’s needs, your training and your performance. Hours vary week to week and are not guaranteed. Students, parents and people with second jobs are welcome here, and we make reasonable efforts to schedule around school and family. When your availability changes, update it in the scheduling system and tell your GM at least two weeks ahead when you can. We may ask everyone to update availability from time to time. When the restaurant needs it, you may be asked to work extra or different shifts or stay past your scheduled end time, within the law.

The schedule is posted before each workweek, in the restaurant and in the scheduling app. You’re responsible for knowing your shifts. To change a shift after the schedule is posted, ask your GM as soon as possible and, if asked, help find a qualified teammate to cover. A swap counts only after a manager approves it.

If you can’t make a shift, you must give notice. Notice means calling the restaurant and speaking directly with the manager on duty at least 2 hours before your shift starts, or by 8:00 p.m. the night before if you’re scheduled to open. A text, a social media message, a voicemail or a message passed through a coworker is not notice. If a true emergency makes calling impossible, call as soon as you safely can.

A valid reason is your own illness or injury, the illness or injury of a family member who depends on you, a family emergency, a required court appearance, severe weather or road closures, or another reason your GM accepts. We may ask for documentation, such as a note from a health care provider after more than 3 consecutive missed shifts, a court notice or a tow receipt. We never ask for a diagnosis.

Reliable attendance is part of every job here. Attendance problems lead to corrective action, up to and including termination.

Everyone starts with a clean record. Occurrences begin counting on your first day as an ORG employee, including for team members who join when ORG takes over their restaurant. Nothing recorded by a prior owner counts under these standards.

An unexcused absence is missing all or part of a scheduled shift without giving both notice and a valid reason. Leaving before the end of your shift without a manager’s approval counts as an unexcused absence, and so does arriving more than 60 minutes late without notice.

Missing a scheduled shift without giving any notice is an unexcused absence and can lead to serious corrective action, even the first time. A no-call, no-show may also be treated as your voluntary resignation, after we consider whether an emergency, protected leave, an accommodation or another legal protection applies.

You are tardy when you aren’t clocked in, in full uniform and at your station at your scheduled start time, or when you return late from a meal period, without having given notice and a valid reason ahead of time. Repeated tardiness leads to corrective action.

These are not unexcused absences, but we still track them. A pattern, such as frequent call-offs next to days off, weekends or holidays, will be discussed with you and may require documentation for future call-offs.

Managers document attendance problems, and warnings follow the corrective action process. These standards don’t promise any particular step before termination, and they never change at-will employment.

Absences protected by law, such as approved FMLA or Wisconsin family and medical leave, a disability or pregnancy accommodation, jury duty, military service, voting time, a work-related injury, or attending court as a crime victim or witness, never count against you under this policy. Just follow the notice rules in the Time Off and Leaves section when you can.

Ask for time off as early as you can, in the scheduling system or in writing to your GM. We approve requests based on coverage, and the earlier you ask the better your chances. Requests aren’t approved until a manager confirms them. You don’t need to name a law to ask for protected leave. Tell your GM what’s going on, and we will work out what applies.

Paid vacation is earned at certain levels. Who is eligible and how vacation is earned are described in the Benefits Guide. ORG does not offer paid sick time. ORG does not permit advances against paychecks or vacation.

Our restaurants stay open on New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. If you’re scheduled on a holiday, you’re expected to work unless your GM approves other arrangements in advance. Holiday premium pay is not guaranteed. ORG may offer premium pay for a particular holiday at its discretion, and will tell you in advance when it does.

If you have worked for ORG for at least 12 months, worked at least 1,250 hours in the 12 months before the leave, and work at a location where ORG employs at least 50 people within 75 miles, you may take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 12-month period to:

1. 01recover from your own serious health condition, including pregnancy-related incapacity
2. 02care for a spouse, child or parent with a serious health condition
3. 03bond with a newborn, or a child newly placed with you for adoption or foster care, within one year
4. 04handle qualifying needs arising from a spouse, child or parent’s military deployment

You may take up to 26 weeks in a single 12-month period to care for a spouse, child, parent or next of kin who is a covered servicemember with a serious injury or illness.

If you have group health coverage through ORG, we keep it on the same terms during FMLA leave, and you continue to pay your share. When you return, you’ll be restored to your job or an equivalent one. Leave can be taken all at once, or intermittently or on a reduced schedule when medically necessary. Give 30 days’ notice when the need is foreseeable, or as soon as practicable when it isn’t, and follow the normal call-off procedure. We may ask for medical certification. We will tell you within five business days whether you’re eligible and whether the leave is designated as FMLA leave. If you have paid vacation, you may choose to use it during the leave. You may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor or bring a lawsuit if you believe your rights were violated.

Wisconsin law gives separate job-protected leave. You are eligible once you have worked for ORG for more than 52 consecutive weeks and at least 1,000 hours in the preceding 52 weeks. In a 12-month period you may take:

1. 01up to 6 weeks for the birth of your child, or the placement of a child for adoption or as a precondition to adoption, starting within 16 weeks of the birth or placement
2. 02up to 2 weeks to care for your child, spouse, domestic partner, parent, or parent of your spouse or domestic partner with a serious health condition
3. 03up to 2 weeks for your own serious health condition that makes you unable to work

Family leave under the first two items may not total more than 8 weeks in a 12-month period. Wisconsin leave may be taken in partial days, and if you have paid vacation, you may use it in place of unpaid leave. If you have group health coverage through ORG, we maintain it during Wisconsin leave. When you return, you will be restored to your job or an equivalent one. When a leave qualifies under both laws, it counts against both at the same time.

Eligible employees, using the same 52-week and 1,000-hour test as Wisconsin family leave, may take up to 6 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 12-month period to serve as a bone marrow or organ donor. We may ask for written verification from your physician.

If you serve in the U.S. armed forces, the reserves, the National Guard or other uniformed services, you are entitled to unpaid leave for training and active service and to reemployment when you return, as provided by federal law (USERRA) and Wisconsin law. Give your GM as much advance notice as you can, and a copy of your orders when available. Employees with a spouse, child or parent called to active duty may also be eligible for military family leave under the FMLA.

If you’re summoned for jury duty, show your GM the summons as soon as you get it. You will receive time off without penalty, and your job is protected. Time off for jury duty is unpaid. If you have paid vacation, you may use it.

If you are subpoenaed as a witness, or are a crime victim or a victim’s family member attending proceedings in a criminal case, you may take the time needed to attend without penalty. Show your GM the subpoena or notice when you can.

If you’re eligible to vote in Wisconsin, you may take up to 3 consecutive hours off, unpaid, while the polls are open, to vote. Tell your GM before Election Day. Your GM may set the time of day you take it.

If you’re a volunteer firefighter, emergency medical technician or first responder and are late or absent because you were responding to an emergency before your shift, you won’t be disciplined for it. Let your GM know as soon as you can, and we may ask for a statement from the department confirming the call.

If you need extended time away that no law covers, talk with your GM. Brian Williams, Director of Operations, may approve an unpaid personal leave based on your circumstances and the restaurant’s needs.

ORG carries workers’ compensation insurance for every employee from day one. If you’re hurt at work, no matter how minor, tell the manager on duty immediately, get first aid or medical care, and complete an incident report before you leave that day if you can. Workers’ compensation can cover medical bills and part of your lost wages. You will never be disciplined for reporting an injury or filing a claim.

The Benefits Guide explains our insurance benefits and paid vacation, including who is eligible, when coverage starts and what it costs. When the Benefits Guide and a plan’s official documents differ, the plan documents control. If you become eligible, we will give you enrollment information at that time.

When you work a shift, you’re generally eligible for one free meal: one entrée, one side and one drink from the crew meal menu posted in your restaurant. Other items and add-ons are 30% off when you buy them right before, during or right after your shift. Order on the guest side of the counter, have a manager approve it, and have it rung in like any guest order. Someone working the line prepares it, never the employee it’s for. Crew meals are for you only and are eaten in the restaurant. Management may change the crew meal menu, discount or procedures at any time.

During your shift, you may have water or a fountain drink in an approved cup, kept only in the crew room or in the spots your GM designates. Health code does not allow drinks at food prep or service stations.

We provide your uniform shirts, hat or visor, apron and name tag at no cost, and replace them as needed. You provide black pants and black slip-resistant shoes. Return your uniform when you leave. We will not take the cost of an unreturned uniform out of your pay without your written authorization.

Through McDonald’s Archways to Opportunity, eligible team members can receive up to $2,500 per year from McDonald’s toward college. Visit ArchwaysToOpportunity.com to learn more.

Through PerkSpot, McDonald’s restaurant employees can get discounts at hundreds of local and national brands. Sign up free at mcdperks.com.

We look for ways to recognize great work. Your GM will share how recognition works in your restaurant.

Every guest trusts us with their food. Follow every McDonald’s food safety procedure you’re trained on, every time, on every station: hand washing, glove use, cooking times and temperatures, holding times, allergen procedures, and cleaning and sanitizing.

Our food safety rules put the Wisconsin Food Code and the conditions of our restaurant licenses into practice. A deliberate violation can put a restaurant’s license at risk and is treated as serious misconduct.

Don’t come to work, and call the manager on duty, if you have vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes), a sore throat with fever, or an infected cut or sore on your hands or arms that can’t be covered. You must also tell the manager on duty if you have been diagnosed with, or live with or have been exposed to someone diagnosed with, Norovirus, Hepatitis A, Shigella, Salmonella (including typhoid), shiga toxin-producing E. coli, or any other illness a health care provider says can spread through food. The manager may keep you off food handling or out of the restaurant until it’s safe, as the food code requires. You will not be disciplined for reporting an illness or staying home because of one.

Cover any cut or sore on your hands with a bandage and a glove.

Wash for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap, scrubbing hands and forearms, then dry with a paper towel and use it to turn off the faucet. Wash when you start your shift, when you return from a break, after using the restroom, after touching your face, hair or phone, after handling trash, raw product or chemicals, after coughing or sneezing, when changing tasks, and at least once an hour. Follow any additional steps posted at the sink.

Uniform is the key for us. It’s the first thing a guest sees, and it tells them who we are before anyone says a word. Our standards exist for food safety, for your safety and so guests recognize the team. A full, clean uniform on every shift is a condition of working here. Your GM will show you the details for your restaurant.

1. 01Uniform: full, clean uniform on every shift: company shirt, hat or visor worn bill forward, name tag, apron where required, black pants and black slip-resistant closed-toe shoes. In cold weather, a plain black or company long-sleeve layer may go under your uniform shirt. Only ORG or McDonald’s branded outerwear is worn on the floor.
2. 02Hair: clean and fully restrained under your hat or visor. Long hair is tied back or up. Beards and mustaches are welcome when neatly groomed and covered with a beard restraint when you work with food.
3. 03Nails: short and clean. Nail polish and artificial nails may be worn only with gloves on at all times when handling food.
4. 04Jewelry: on hands and arms, one plain band ring only; no watches or bracelets on food stations. Earrings and facial piercings must be small studs. Necklaces tucked in.
5. 05Personal hygiene: come to work clean, with a clean uniform. Keep fragrance light. You may not come to work smelling of marijuana, on your body or your uniform.
6. 06Tattoos: welcome, as long as they aren’t obscene, violent or hateful.

We accommodate appearance requirements related to religion, disability, medical conditions, gender identity, pregnancy and racial identity, including protective hairstyles and religious head coverings. Talk to your GM or Brian Williams, Director of Operations, and we will work with you on an approach that meets your needs and food safety rules.

Managers check uniform and appearance. If you arrive out of uniform or outside these standards, you will not clock in until it’s fixed. That time is unpaid, and returning after your scheduled start counts as a tardy under the attendance standards. Repeated violations lead to corrective action.

Follow every safety procedure you’re trained on, use the protective equipment we provide at no cost, and never use equipment you haven’t been trained on. Report any hazard, spill, broken equipment, near miss or unsafe condition to the manager on duty right away, even if you already took care of it. You have the right to raise safety concerns and to refuse work you reasonably believe poses an imminent danger, and you will not be retaliated against for either.

These are ORG’s safety rules. They are reasonable rules adopted for your protection, managers enforce them, and you acknowledge them when you sign for this handbook.

1. 01Wear slip-resistant shoes on every shift.
2. 02Wear cut-resistant gloves whenever you use, clean or change a blade, slicer or cutter.
3. 03Wear the face shield, apron and heat-resistant gloves provided when filtering, draining or boiling out a fryer. Never reach into or over hot oil.
4. 04Move hot oil only with the equipment designed for it.
5. 05Clean up or cone off spills immediately, and put out wet floor signs whenever a floor is wet.
6. 06Walk, never run, and call out “behind” and “hot” when passing a teammate.
7. 07Use only the step stool or ladder provided, never a crate, bucket, chair or counter.
8. 08Wear the gloves and eye protection the chemical label or safety data sheet requires, and never mix chemicals.
9. 09Never remove or bypass a guard, interlock or safety switch.
10. 10Turn off and unplug equipment before cleaning it, following the posted procedure.
11. 11Lift with your legs, ask for help with heavy or awkward loads, and use a cart when one is available.
12. 12Use hot pads or heat-resistant gloves for hot pans, trays, racks and grill surfaces.
13. 13In the drive-thru lane or parking lot, wear the high-visibility vest provided and never step in front of a moving vehicle.
14. 14Report every injury, however minor, to the manager on duty immediately.

Breaking a safety rule leads to corrective action. Under Wisconsin law, workers’ compensation benefits can be reduced when an injury results from breaking a safety rule you knew about. That is a reason to follow the rules. It is never a reason to skip reporting an injury.

We do not tolerate violence, threats, intimidation, bullying or fighting by anyone, including employees, guests and vendors, in the restaurant, in the parking lot, at company events or through messages. Report any threat or act of violence to the manager on duty immediately, and call 911 first if anyone is in danger. When a guest becomes aggressive, don’t argue or engage. Step back and get a manager.

Employees may not carry or keep a firearm, knife (other than kitchen tools we provide) or other weapon anywhere inside our restaurants, or on their person while working anywhere on company property, including the parking lot. As Wisconsin law provides, an employee with a valid concealed carry license may keep a concealed firearm in their own vehicle, including while it is parked in our lot. We ask that it stay out of sight.

If you’re ever confronted in a robbery, your safety comes first. Cooperate, don’t resist or chase anyone, and call 911 once it’s safe. Your GM will walk you through the fire, severe weather, medical emergency and evacuation procedures for your restaurant, including where the exits, fire extinguishers, first aid kit and shelter area are.

ORG is a drug- and alcohol-free workplace. This section is ORG’s written policy on alcohol and drug use, and it applies to every employee whenever you are working, on break, on company property, or doing anything on ORG’s behalf.

1. 01Reporting to work, working, or being on company property for work while under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, an illegal drug or any substance that impairs you
2. 02Using, possessing, selling, sharing or buying alcohol, marijuana, illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia on company property, in any vehicle while on company business, or while working
3. 03Misusing a prescription or over-the-counter drug, or using someone else’s prescription, at work
4. 04Arriving at work, or being at work, smelling of marijuana or alcohol
5. 05Refusing or tampering with a test under this policy

You are under the influence if a test shows an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or higher, or shows marijuana, an illegal drug, or a drug you have no valid prescription for, or its metabolite, at or above the laboratory’s confirmed cutoff level. Marijuana is illegal in Wisconsin, so a positive marijuana test is a violation no matter when or where you used it. Observed impairment is also a violation, with or without a test.

Marijuana odor has no place around our food or our guests. If you arrive smelling of marijuana, the manager on duty will not let you clock in, and the odor is grounds for reasonable-suspicion testing.

What you lawfully do on your own time, off our premises, is your business. Having a drink on your day off is not a violation. Coming to work with an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or higher is.

If you take a prescription or over-the-counter medication that could affect your ability to work safely, tell your manager before your shift. You don’t have to say what it is or why you take it. A test result explained by a valid prescription taken as directed is not a violation.

ORG may require a drug test, an alcohol test or both:

1. 01Reasonable suspicion: when a manager observes signs such as the odor of alcohol or marijuana, slurred speech, unsteady movement, unusual behavior, possession of drugs or alcohol, or an admission of use.
2. 02Post-accident: after any workplace accident or injury that requires medical treatment beyond first aid, or that injures another person or damages property, when your actions could have contributed. Medical care always comes first, and the test happens as soon as possible afterward.
3. 03Return to duty and follow-up: before returning to work after a policy violation or treatment, when ORG allows a return, and at intervals afterward.
4. 04Pre-employment: after a conditional job offer and before your first shift.

If you are selected for testing, you’ll be removed from duty, and you may not drive yourself to the collection site. Testing is done by a professional collection site and a certified laboratory, and a positive drug screen is confirmed and reviewed by a medical review officer before any action is taken. ORG pays for required testing as the law requires, and time spent testing is paid work time.

Each of the following is a refusal and is treated the same as a positive test: refusing or failing to go for testing when directed, leaving before the test is complete, failing to provide an adequate specimen without a valid medical explanation, tampering with, diluting, adulterating or substituting a specimen, and refusing to sign the required consent forms.

A confirmed positive test, a refusal, an admission of use that violates this policy, or possessing, selling or sharing drugs or alcohol at work is grounds for termination. Drugs or alcohol found on company property will be secured, and ORG may contact police. Under Wisconsin law, if a violation of this policy causes a workplace injury, workers’ compensation benefits other than medical treatment may not be payable.

If you have a drug or alcohol problem and tell your GM or Brian Williams, Director of Operations, before you are selected for a test and before any violation occurs, we will consider a request for unpaid leave for treatment and keep it confidential as the law requires. Asking for help doesn’t excuse a violation that has already happened or a test you’ve already been directed to take. Returning to work may require a negative test and follow-up testing.

When a team member under 18 is tested, ORG may notify a parent or guardian.

Test results are kept in a confidential file separate from your personnel file and shared only with people who need to know or as the law requires.

ORG may inspect company property at any time, including lockers, storage areas, company devices, and bags or containers brought into work areas. Personal bags are inspected with you present. Refusing an inspection is treated as a refusal to cooperate with a workplace investigation.

Never share alarm codes, safe combinations, door codes or system passwords, and never let anyone who doesn’t work here into the back of the restaurant without a manager’s approval. Keep the back door closed and locked. Report lost keys or access cards immediately, along with anything or anyone suspicious.

Our restaurants use video cameras inside and outside, including in guest areas, work areas, the drive-thru, cash areas, the office and the parking lot.

Footage is used for security, safety, food safety, cash accountability, and investigating complaints, accidents and policy violations. ORG may share it with police, insurers and attorneys when needed. Blocking, moving, disabling or tampering with a camera or recorder is serious misconduct, and so is copying, sharing or posting footage without permission.

Smoking and vaping are not allowed anywhere on company property, including the parking lot and drive-thru, or in company vehicles. If you smoke or vape, do it off company property and only while you’re off the clock. Smoke breaks are not in addition to your scheduled breaks.

Park where your GM tells you, leaving the best spaces for guests. ORG isn’t responsible for damage to or theft from personal vehicles, or for lost, stolen or damaged personal belongings, so leave valuables at home when you can.

You’ll be trained on cash handling before you work a register or drive-thru window. The basics:

1. 01Your drawer is counted with you at the start and end of your shift, while you are on the clock.
2. 02Work only from the drawer assigned to you, and don’t let anyone else use it.
3. 03Managers handle over-rings, voids, refunds, promotional redemptions and change for other drawers.
4. 04Follow the counterfeit check procedure for large bills, and get a manager for anything that looks off.
5. 05Every discount, coupon, promo item and employee meal is rung in the system with a manager’s approval.
6. 06Money drops happen when the system or a manager calls for them, following the safe procedures in your restaurant.
7. 07Never borrow from a drawer or the safe, or remove any company money without a manager’s authorization.
8. 08Don’t cash personal checks, or use register functions, coupons or discounts for yourself.
9. 09Never earn or redeem MyMcDonald’s Rewards points on a guest’s order.

If your drawer is over or short by more than $2.00, the manager will review it with you and you’ll sign a variance record. Repeated variances, or any sign that money or product was taken, will lead to corrective action up to termination. As the Pay section says, a shortage will never be taken out of your pay unless you authorize it in writing after the fact, and we will never ask you to cover a shortage from your own pocket.

Show up ready, treat guests and teammates with respect, follow our procedures, be honest, and speak up when something is wrong. Most of what makes a great shift comes down to that.

The list below gives examples. It doesn’t cover everything, and depending on the facts, some of these may lead to immediate termination.

1. 01Dishonesty, including falsifying time records, applications, reports, food safety logs or other company records
2. 02Theft of money, food or property from ORG, a guest or a teammate
3. 03Giving away food, or using discounts, coupons, promo codes or employee meals in a way that isn’t authorized, including earning or redeeming MyMcDonald’s Rewards points on guest orders
4. 04Harassment, discrimination, retaliation, threats, fighting, violence or dangerous horseplay
5. 05Working while impaired, or possessing alcohol or illegal drugs at work
6. 06Bringing a weapon into the restaurant
7. 07Serious or repeated food safety or safety violations
8. 08Refusing a reasonable, lawful and safe instruction from a manager
9. 09Abusive, threatening or degrading language toward guests or teammates
10. 10Attendance problems, including no call, no show and repeated lateness
11. 11Leaving your station or the restaurant during your shift without a manager’s approval
12. 12Sleeping on the job
13. 13Damaging company property on purpose or through carelessness
14. 14Sharing security codes, safe combinations or system passwords
15. 15Uniform and appearance violations, after coaching
16. 16A criminal conviction or pending charge that is substantially related to your job, as Wisconsin law defines it

We try to fix problems early and fairly. Depending on what happened, a manager may coach you, give you a documented verbal warning, a written warning, or a final written warning, suspend you pending an investigation, demote you where the law allows, or end your employment. We choose the step that fits the situation, and we may skip steps. Written warnings are reviewed with you, and you’ll be asked to sign to show you received them. Signing doesn’t mean you agree, and you may add your own written comments. This process is at ORG’s discretion and doesn’t change your at-will status.

When ORG looks into a possible policy violation, you must cooperate and answer truthfully. We may take you off the schedule while we investigate. Investigations are documented in writing.

Theft of any amount of money, food or property, and falsifying cash, time or food safety records, are grounds for immediate termination. ORG may report suspected theft or other crimes to police and may cooperate with any prosecution.

If you have a concern, idea or complaint about anything at work, start with your manager. If that doesn’t resolve it, or you’re not comfortable going to them, go to your GM or Brian Williams, Director of Operations. We will look into it, and you will never be penalized for using the open door.

Keep your phone silenced and out of sight while you’re working on the floor or in the kitchen, since phones carry germs to food and pull attention from guests. Use it on breaks and in the crew room. If someone needs to reach you in an emergency, they can call the restaurant. Managers may use phones on shift for approved work tools such as the scheduling app, the MCD Wisco team app and restaurant systems.

Registers, kiosks, tablets, headsets, computers, email accounts and apps we provide are for work. Anything created, sent or stored on them may be reviewed by ORG, so don’t expect privacy on company systems. Keep your logins to yourself and don’t install software on company devices without your GM’s approval.

ORG will never ask for the username or password to your personal social media, email or other personal online accounts, and will never ask you to let us view them.

To protect guest privacy and our food safety and security procedures, don’t photograph or record guests, the safe, cash handling, security systems or the back of the restaurant while you’re working, and never record in restrooms, changing areas or pumping spaces. This rule doesn’t limit your right to document or share information about wages, hours, safety, or other working conditions with coworkers, a union or a government agency.

What you post on your own time is your business. We ask only a few things: don’t post guests’ photos or personal information, don’t share passwords, security codes or cash procedures, don’t threaten or harass anyone, and don’t present your personal views as the views of ORG or McDonald’s, and don’t use McDonald’s or MCD Wisco logos or brand materials for a personal business. Anything that would violate this handbook at work, such as harassment or threats, also violates it online.

Some business information must stay inside ORG: guest personal and payment information, security codes and cash procedures, non-public financial results and plans, vendor pricing, and McDonald’s proprietary recipes, systems and procedures. Share it only with people who need it for their job. Other employees’ medical information, and personnel records you access as part of your job, are also confidential.

Nothing here stops you from talking about your own wages, hours, benefits or working conditions with anyone.

Don’t ask coworkers to buy things, donate or join organizations while either of you is working, and don’t hand out literature in guest areas or work areas. You’re free to do these things on breaks and before or after your shift, in non-work areas. People who don’t work for ORG may not solicit or distribute materials on our property.

Our bulletin boards carry required legal notices and company news. To post something, ask your GM.

Family members and people in a dating relationship can work in the same restaurant, but one may not supervise, schedule, approve pay for, evaluate or discipline the other. Managers may not date anyone they supervise, directly or indirectly. If a relationship or family connection creates a reporting conflict, tell your GM or Brian Williams, Director of Operations, so we can adjust schedules or roles. No manager may buy or provide alcohol for anyone under 21 who works for ORG, or use their position to pressure anyone into a personal, romantic or financial relationship.

Tell your GM or payroll right away when your name, address, phone, emergency contact, tax withholding or direct deposit changes.

Under Wisconsin law, you may inspect your personnel records up to twice each calendar year. Ask your GM or Brian Williams, Director of Operations, in writing, and we will make them available within 7 working days, at a time and place that works for both of us. You may request copies, which we provide at our cost to copy them. If you disagree with something in your file, you may submit a written statement explaining your side, and it will be kept with the record. Medical information is kept in a separate confidential file.

If you decide to leave, please give your GM at least two weeks’ written notice when you can, so we can cover your shifts. Notice isn’t required by law, but it’s one of the things we consider for rehire.

Your final paycheck, including all wages earned, is paid no later than the next regular payday after your last day, by the same method you normally receive pay. Unused paid vacation is not paid out when you leave. Return your name tag, uniform, keys, access cards and any other company property on or before your last day.

If you have group health coverage through ORG, you will receive information about continuing that coverage.

When other employers call about former employees, ORG confirms only job title and dates of employment, unless you authorize more in writing or the law requires it.

Former team members who left in good standing may reapply. Rehire is at ORG’s discretion. Decisions are made by the GM with the approval of Brian Williams, Director of Operations.

Every guest gets hot, accurate food, fast, served with a smile, in a clean restaurant. Greet people, make eye contact, and treat every order like it matters, because to that guest it does. When a guest has a problem, listen, apologize, and fix it or get a manager who can. Never argue with a guest.

McDonald’s measures guest satisfaction through VOICE, a short survey guests take using the code on their receipt at mcdvoice.com. Guests rate their visit on speed, accuracy, friendliness and cleanliness, and can leave comments. Our goal is for every guest to rate us Highly Satisfied. Hand every guest a receipt, and never ask a guest to rate us a certain way or complete a survey for them. We may share VOICE results with the team and recognize great scores.

Guests with disabilities may bring service animals into the restaurant. If it isn’t obvious what the animal does, you may ask only two questions: “Is the animal required because of a disability?” and “What work or task has it been trained to perform?” Don’t ask about the person’s disability, ask for paperwork, or ask the animal to demonstrate anything, and don’t pet, feed or distract it. A manager may ask that an animal be removed only if it is out of control and the handler doesn’t take effective action, or if it isn’t housebroken, and the guest must still be offered service without the animal. Get a manager whenever you’re unsure.

Nothing in this handbook limits your right under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act to talk with coworkers or others about wages, hours, benefits or other working conditions, to act together with coworkers to improve them, or to join or decline to join a union. Nothing here limits your right to file a charge or complaint with, communicate with or take part in an investigation by the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, OSHA, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development or any other government agency, or to report possible violations of law. Required federal and Wisconsin employment notices are posted in the crew room of every restaurant.

If you have a question this handbook doesn’t answer, ask your GM or the Restaurant Support Team (Brian Williams, Director of Operations). That’s what we’re here for.