McDonald's announced last week that it will be temporarily closing all of its restaurants in Russia and Ukraine amid the ongoing war, but made it clear that they aren't leaving their employees to fend for themselves in a time of crisis and instability.
McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski sent an email to all of their franchisees and employees on March 8 to let them know about the closures, and added that the company will continue to pay its Ukrainian employees their full salaries.
The fast food giant said that they will also be donating $5 million to their Employee Assistance Fund. Additionally, the company will continue to provide relief and support to the International Red Cross that's helping in Ukraine.
"We are continuing to pay full salaries for our Ukrainian employees and have donated $5 million to our Employee Assistance Fund, and continue to support relief efforts led by the International Red Cross in the region," Kempczinski said in the email. "We have been overwhelmed by the offers of support across the System and thank you for your generous contributions to date."
McDonald's temporarily closed all 108 restaurants in the Ukraine, per Eat This, Not That!
They also chose to temporarily close all 850 restaurants in Russia, but will continue to pay those 62,000 employees as well.
Kempczinski went on to explain the decision in the email, noting that McDonald's understands the impact they have had in Russia over the last thirty-plus years, but stuck with its core values.
"At the same time, our values mean we cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine," Kempczinski said in the email. "Years ago, when confronted with his own difficult decision, Fred Turner explained his approach quite simply: 'Do the right thing.'
"That philosophy is enshrined as one of our five guiding values, and there are countless examples over the years of McDonald’s Corporation living up to Fred’s simple ideal. Today, is also one of those days."
Russian citizens were seen reacting to the news of their favorite fast food chain closing in a handful of viral social media posts. Some videos showed incredibly long lines at McDonald's, as people were willing to wait as long as it took to get their food one last time.
A post on Reddit has also made its way around the internet, as one Russian citizen elected to fill up their entire freezer with a large stock of McDonald's sandwiches that can last them a while.
McDonald's said in their email that they will work with their other European locations and do what's needed to help the people of Ukraine.
"Across the rest of Europe, we will stay focused on how McDonald’s can best help those in need, both now and in the future," Kempczinski said in the email. "We have already seen extraordinary leadership by our Ukrainian and Russian teams, and I know the rest of the McDonald’s System stands ready to support the large number of refugees who have been displaced by this conflict.
"As we move forward, McDonald’s will continue to assess the situation and determine if any additional measures are required. At this juncture, it’s impossible to predict when we might be able to reopen our restaurants in Russia. We are experiencing disruptions to our supply chain along with other operational impacts. We will also closely monitor the humanitarian situation."
Related
Related
