McDonald’s cuts opening hours amid Covid staff shortages

McDonald’s stores across Australia have had to reduce opening hours due to the number of staff members in isolation.

McDonald’s is the latest big business to reveal it is unable to operate with business as usual due to the number of workers in isolation because of Covid.

It comes only a day after KFC said some of its restaurants were offering a reduced menu due to supply chain disruptions, when customers noticed stores had sold out of their favourite chicken items.

A McDonald’s spokeswoman told news.com.au some restaurants across Australia had to cut their operating hours “due to staff isolation requirements”.

“We appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding as we continue to prioritise health and safety during these times,” she said.

A sign at McDonald’s Blaxland, in NSW’s Blue Mountains, on Tuesday said “due to unforeseen circumstances” trading hours were limited, from 6am to 11pm.

It is usually open 24 hours.

Some McDonald's restaurants don’t have enough workers to keep stores open due to isolation.

Many Australian businesses have felt the impact of rising Covid cases and high numbers of workers in isolation, which is affecting supply chains and resulting in empty shelves.

Last week, Coles introduced buying limits on chicken breasts, chicken thighs, mince and sausages.

In an email to customers, Coles chief executive Steven Cain said he expected it would take “several weeks to fully recover” from supply issues.

Woolworths has not introduced buying limits, but chief executive Brad Banducci has warned customers about gaps on the shelf or substitutions in online orders because the number of workers in the supply chain in isolation.

Supply chain issues are leaving shelves empty at the major supermarkets. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Changes were made to isolation requirements for supply chain industries on Monday to deal with the situation.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the change would allow close contacts working in critical food and grocery production, manufacturing, logistics, and distributions facilities to be able to go to work if certain requirements were met.

But Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus has expressed concern about the health and welfare of workers.

“A household close contact is now four hours, but working people might be spending eight hours with someone who is Covid-positive and they are no longer considered a close contact, which is just really crazy,” Ms McManus said speaking to ABC News.

“It is a bit dangerous as well.”

The union boss wrote to Mr Morrison requesting an urgent meeting and included demands from ACTU, including restoring pandemic leave for close workplace contacts, free rapid antigen tests and upgrading a mask mandate to N95 or P2 masks.