McDonald's UK arm has reduced its donations to Children in Need and Ronald McDonald House charities, despite a more than 80% increase in pre-tax profits last year. According to newly filed accounts, the fast food chain gave £529,000 to Children in Need in 2024, down from £952,000 the previous year, and £744,000 to Ronald McDonald House charities, down from £779,000.
The accounts also reveal that McDonald's shed nearly 2,000 jobs from its directly operated business, reducing headcount to 24,375 from 26,384. All reductions came from restaurants and operations rather than head office. The company operates over 1,400 sites in the UK and Ireland, with a large proportion run by franchisees who employ more than 140,000 staff. It was not clear if some departing workers were transferred to franchise partners.
Pre-tax profits rose to £120m in 2024, up from £66m the previous year, despite a slight fall in sales to £1.82bn. The UK business paid an £83m dividend to its parent group, up from zero a year before. The board attributed the profit improvement to savings in administrative expenses, slowed by inflationary pressures on food, paper and utility costs.
McDonald's has faced criticism for its use of zero-hours contracts, which are to be restricted under new government measures. The company said it offers staff a choice between guaranteed hours and flexible contracts. Following reports of harassment, McDonald's said it was recruiting a 'head of safeguarding' and had set up an investigations handling unit. In January, the UK chief executive told MPs that 29 people had been dismissed in the past year after allegations of sexual harassment, with 75 allegations reported.
