McDonald?s earns high marks as employer for working mothers

Working Mother magazine named McDonald's one of the 100 best employers for working mothers in 2001, according to Sandra Griffin representative for Archibald Cowan Ringer Communica-tions Inc., which handles public relations and communications for the McDonald's Ozarks Co-op. The co-op is comprised of 62 restaurants that employ more than 3,000 people in southwest Missouri and northern Arkansas. Griffin said McDon-ald's was the only quick-service restaurant company to be recognized by the publication last year.

McDonald's also was named by For-tune magazine as one of America's best companies for minorities and by Latina Style magazine as one the top 50 best companies for Hispanic women, Griffin said.

Of the 19 stores in and around Spring-field, 15 are owned and operated by women who are either sole owners or joint owners with their husbands, Griffin said.

Restaurant owner Donna Powers owns four Springfield stores in the co-op. Her stores are located at 4101 S. Campbell, 501 W. Sunshine, across from the Won-ders of Wildlife Museum, on the mezzanine at Bass Pro Shops and on South National in the complex shared with a Conoco station, situated next to Zio's.

Powers and her husband Jerry came to Springfield 11 years ago. Though Donna Powers helped her husband manage the McDonald's restaurants on a part-time basis, she continued to work in her chosen profession as a physical therapist.

Powers said she didn't know if she wanted to join him exclusively in the restaurant business, but as the years went on, she became more and more involved. When Jerry Powers died two years ago, Powers decided to keep the restaurants and go full-time. She went through Mc-Donald's extensive training program to take over as owner-operator of the stores.

"McDonald's allows 18 months to finish the approval program. I did it in nine months," she said.

Powers visits each of the stores at least twice a week. She has a staff of 28 managers and two supervisors most of whom started as crew workers and worked their way up through the ranks but Powers said she still likes to have hands-on participation in her business.

"I always have my McDonald's clothes on," she said. "You'll see me behind the counter or cleaning tables."

Powers is happy with her career change. She believes that if you can en-joy what you are doing 90 percent of the time, it's a good job choice.

Griffin said McDonald's is a great place for working mothers because of flexible hours and a family-oriented work environment.

Powers agreed and said that women can schedule their work days to fit their families' needs. That flexibility also benefits other workers, including students.

Powers also takes time to visit area schools and talk to students about entering the work force.

"I mostly go to middle schools and talk to eighth graders about how to dress for an interview and how to fill out an application," she said.

Powers uses an overhead projector to show an actual McDonald's application so students will know what questions are asked. She finishes the program with information about career opportunities at McDonald's.

Kari Scott is another local store manager who started as a crew worker with McDonald's at the age of 15. Scott manages the store at 1114 W. Kearney for owners Rex and Sheila McMillan. The couple also own two other McDonald's franchises at 2811 N. Kansas Expwy. and 2825 N. Kansas Expwy., inside the Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Scott has been with McDonald's for 24 years. She said she thought early on she would like to be a store manager, but she did not specifically have that goal in mind while she went to college where she majored in personnel management and industrial communication.

She had worked up to swing manager by that time and continued with Mc-Donald's through her school years, re-maining with the company when she finished.

The flexible hours have allowed Scott, the mother of two, to take time off for school events or to be home with a sick child. Though Scott spends her share of time on the floor, she is also able to take administrative paperwork home, which she considers a great benefit for a working mother.

Scott has helped set up new stores in Springfield, including the stores at the Wal-Mart Supercenters in north and south Springfield.

"I like the challenge of the job and the people I work with," Scott said. She also likes the pay and the benefits

She praised her staff for their cooperation and teamwork.

"We all share responsibility," she said. "I do the follow-up to make sure it all happens."

Rex McMillan said that when he first began with McDonald's more than 20 years ago, attendance at national conventions was about 90 percent male. Now, the mix has changed to about 60 percent to 70 percent female attendees.

Griffin said that in the United States, 56 percent of all McDonald's restaurants are managed by women, and women own 20 percent of the McDonald's franchises nationwide, she added.