Employee Wellness Benefits for Your Quick Service Restaurant Workers

• Many quick service restaurant (QSR) operators are hopeful that 2023 will mark a return to financial health as the pandemic’s disruption fades.
• However, the new year holds some new challenges for QSRs. Inflation, supply chain woes, and staffing shortages – QSR operators have a lot on their plates in 2023.
• Employers need to craft an employee benefits package that will catch the eye of hard-to-find QSR workers.

Like many industries, QSR operators are feeling the impact of an ongoing labor shortage coupled with high turnover rates. Working in QSRs is physically demanding, and servers often have to deal with customers who are rude. In some establishments, the back of the house is even worse ‒ hotter and more crowded. It’s not surprising that the industry has a high turnover rate.

Let’s take a moment to explore the QSR staffing crisis in more detail:

• In 2022, only 54% of quick service restaurant employees reached 90 days of working before quitting.
• Wages, management, and scheduling are top concerns for QSR employees, based on an analysis of exit interviews and a review of text messages exchanged between employers and employees.
• In 2022, QSRs already cut operating hours by an average of 6.4 hours per week compared to pre-pandemic levels to compensate for staff shortages. For independent operators, that hourly reduction jumps to 7.5 hours per week.

Right now, QSR operators need to explore ways to find and retain talent and reduce labor costs ‒ all without affecting the guest experience. One way to combat turnover is to improve aspects other than pay. Let’s take a closer look at some employee benefits to consider to make your QSR stand out:

Flexible Shift Scheduling

Shift scheduling flexibility is a highly prized benefit in the eyes of QSR workers, so why not offer a tool that helps them schedule and swap shifts with coworkers? They can plan their life around their work ‒ vacations, childcare, and school.

On-Demand Pay and Tips Cashout

Many QSR employees struggle to make ends meet and live paycheck-to-paycheck.  On-demand pay, also known as Earned Wage Access, is increasingly popular among QSR workers.

Look for EWA providers that offer payroll cards. These provide a quick and easy way for you to give your QSR employees access to their wages and tips, reimburse mileage costs, and distribute bonuses.  

Employee Communication Apps

It’s important to understand that QSR candidates want to work for companies that allow them to be heard and seen. Many hourly workers don’t have a work email, which means there’s a good chance many of your QSR employees are missing important company-wide email announcements. That’s where a good employee communication app can make all the difference. These apps allow employees to receive personalized, timely, and relevant information from their employer wherever they are via their smartphones.

These communication tools ensure that everyone stays informed about important company news and updates and can perform their jobs more efficiently. They also allow you to recognize the unique value of each person, celebrate accomplishments, and invite feedback and ideas to make work more meaningful for everyone.

QSR Employee Benefits from Payactiv

QSRs have high turnover rates, so it’s important to do everything you can to keep your team happy. Offer flexible pay and scheduling options and create a positive work environment through bi-directional internal communications to make your QSR business stand out.

Payactiv is the creator of EWA, a Public Benefit Corporation and Certified B Corp that allows QSR operators to give thousands of QSR workers on-demand access to earned but unpaid wages. This approach eliminates the expense of payday loans, bank overdrafts, and late fees that workers would otherwise resort to for liquidity.

Payactiv’s  holistic financial-wellness platform offers a suite of financial services that includes savings and budgeting tools, bill payment and discounts.

Payactiv and JAE Restaurant Group ‒ QSR Benefits in Action

JAE Restaurant Group’s story began back in 2014 when three franchisees merged their businesses and quickly grew to be one of the largest Wendy’s franchisee groups in South Florida. A few years ago, they decided to introduce on-demand pay to their workforce as part of an effort to address employee turnover issues.

Impactful Outcomes

JAE discovered a solution through Payactiv that addressed their workers’ financial liquidity challenges. Instead of resorting to predatory loans and cash advance stores, employees were able to access their earned wages on-demand. This service came at no cost to JAE, but it proved instrumental in attracting and retaining a larger workforce, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when they faced competition from unemployment benefits. Constantly recruiting and training new employees can be costly, but with Payactiv’s assistance, JAE managed to reduce operating expenses by enhancing employee recruitment and retention, particularly during the crucial first week of new hire onboarding.

Client Testimonial

“Payactiv’s customer support has been fantastic. They have remained engaged throughout the whole process.”

– Maritza Denman, Payroll Manager, JAE Restaurant Group

Read the full case study here.

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