"We have a big responsibility to ensure our crew are supported," says chief people officer
McDonald’s Australia has successfully rolled out Sonder, a digital health, safety, and wellbeing platform designed for its 115,000 employees and their families.
The app offers various health services, including 24/7 chats with registered professionals like nurses and psychologists for mental health support, medical advice, and personal safety assistance.
“We are one of the largest employers of young people in Australia, which means we have a big responsibility to ensure our crew are supported whenever, wherever, and however they need,” said Emma Napoli-Hala, chief people officer at McDonald’s Australia.
“With Sonder, we saw an opportunity to provide that support around the clock, and in a format that’s familiar to our young, digital-savvy workforce.”
Through the Sonder app, employees can access daily wellbeing tools, assessments, helpful notifications to maintain healthy routines, immediate access to both every day and clinical care, evaluations for depression, stress, and anxiety, and a network of on-demand, rapid response services, both planned and urgent.
“We’re proud to extend our wellbeing support with this 24/7 digital platform,” the chief people officer said. “Most chats are taking place between 10pm and 1am, which has been a big learning for us. I think it shows that businesses have an opportunity to rethink the way they’re supporting the mental health and wellbeing of younger employees.”
The app also offers real-time safety alerts concerning local risks or disruptions and discreet safety check-ins, while also allowing users to track their journeys.
“We’re excited to partner with McDonald’s to set the standard for what a great employee experience looks like, by supporting crew members and their families with a wide range of health, safety, and wellbeing needs,” said Craig Cowdrey, co-founder and chief executive officer at Sonder.
“By helping these employees live well and perform their best, we can ensure McDonald’s continues to be an employer of choice for generations to come.”
