The British operations of fast food chain McDonald's is pushing to change the Oxford English Dictionary definition of "McJob", claiming that the term is insulting to the thousands of staff working in the service sector. The company is seeking to alter the dictionary definition as "an unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects, esp. one created by the expansion of the service sector", claiming that it represents an outdated view of work in the fast food industry. To back its case it will unveil a coalition of heavy hitters from the worlds of business and education who are signing an open letter calling for dictionary houses to reconsider the longstanding definition. A petition is also being launched on behalf of McDonald's 67,000 British employees. A survey of 1000 people, commissioned by McDonald's, claims the campaign to change the definition has public support. It said about 69 per cent of those surveyed agreed that the McJob dictionary definition was outdated. About 67 per cent said they would feel demeaned and 61 per cent said they would feel insulted if their work was described like that. A motion in the British House of Commons is being sponsored by the Labour MP Clive Betts, which regrets the use of "derogatory" phrases such as McJob attached to service sector jobs. The term McJob has been in use for about 20 years. In 1991, it was popularised by the author Douglas Coupland in his novel Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, when he used it to describe "a low-pay, low-prestige, low-dignity, low benefit, no-future job in the service sector. Frequently considered a satisfying career choice by people who have never held one." McJob entered the Oxford English Dictionary six years ago, in 2001, and now also appears in the Collins dictionary. David Fairhurst, chief people officer at McDonald's, said the dictionary definition was out of date and insulting to those working for the company in its outlets.
