Young people in Finland are less and less willing to work in fast food restaurants, especially after the ill-treatment of employees in the Hesburger chains. Markus Kutvonen, Chairman of the STTK Student Department.
Complaints related to Hesburger became public in August this year, reporting, among other things, chronic underemployment, workers โobligation to work 10 hours without breaks and without pay.
Kutvonen said that while students appreciate the experience they have gained working in fast food restaurants, they are also quick to move forward when a new opportunity opens up.
"Fast-food chains are branded among young people as bad jobs, and the Hesburger scandal certainly did not help attract students," Kutvonen said.
The service trade union PAM has also previously stated that working conditions in the sector are a major concern.
McDonald’s franchise Mika RajamรคkiThe chain, which operates a series of restaurants in the Nordic countries, told Yle that he did not believe that the consequences of the Hesburger dispute would have affected the recruitment of the industry.
However, all McDonald’s chains in Ostrobothnia – where some of Rajamรคki’s offices are located – seem to have difficulty finding new employees. The company has been looking for a total of 80 new employees in the area recently, but so far only 50 people have been hired.
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Recruitment has also been slow for KFC, which will soon open an office in Southern Ostrobothnia after the chain’s first restaurant in Finland opened unfavorably last week.
Favorable for studying
Fast food chains tend to employ young people, so in theory there should be no barriers to finding willing employees. According to Statistics Finland’s 2019 report, at least half of students over the age of 18 worked in addition to their studies.
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In addition, according to Kutvonen of STTK, many students consider it an advantage that they can work in fast food restaurants without training or experience. The number of hours is also suitable for part-time work in addition to studying.
Rajamรคki told Yle that there are numerous employees in his offices who want to do only one shift or a maximum of two per week.
"Hiring full-time employees would make it easier to make shift lists, but we can also be very flexible. We have large opening hours and large volumes, so we can offer several working hours for a large number of employees," Rajamรคki said.
“Unrealistic” expectations
According to Rajamรคki, the high staff turnover of fast food restaurants is mainly due to the age and living conditions of the employees.
At McDonaldโs, for example, the average employee is 18 to 20 years old and doesnโt want to start a career in the fast food industry.
However, Kutvonen, the student director of STTK, pointed out that many young people get their first work experience in fast food chains, and this can provide a basis for a final working life.
He added that some younger people may also have unrealistic perceptions of work and pay in particular.
A youth survey commissioned by STTK last autumn showed that the coronavirus summer of 2020 had a significant impact on the availability of summer jobs, but it was also found that respondents considered pay to be the most important aspect of the job.
Katri LehtoThe director of the South Ostrobothnia Employment and Economic Development Offices (TE Offices) told Yle that working during studies is part of the region’s culture, but students may also be motivated to work part-time due to a lack of study. grants and benefits.
"By working, young people try to cover rent and housing costs and possibly avoid taking out a student loan." Lehto said.
Source: The Nordic Page