Frying high as work is a McFamily affair

Members of a Black Country family are certainly proving a chip off the old block when it comes to work.

Because the Wildings are all climbing the career ladder at McDonald’s. Karen Wilding was recently made assistant manager at the branch in Holyhead Road, West Bromwich, near to The Hawthorns.

She joins her husband Rob, father-in-law Trevor, and mother-in-law Margaret who all work at branches in the town, making it a real family affair.

As operations supervisor for the three West Bromwich restaurants Rob, 40, is in charge of the other three but says he doesn’t have too much trouble telling them what to do.

“With my wife it is a bit of a role-reversal to home, where she is in charge, but there are certain rules and regulations to follow at work anyway,” he said.

Karen, aged 33, added: “I don’t really see him as my husband while we are at work. I do sometimes talk about work at home though. If there is something I didn’t get to say to him it can be handy.”

The restaurant chain has had an association with the Wilding family dating back to 1984, when Rob went to work at the branch in Duchess Parade in West Bromwich town centre as a crew member. After working his way up to restaurant manager status – now operations supervisor – he came to hire Karen as a part-time crew member in 1991. Despite moving to different restaurants, a chance meeting between the pair at the All Saints Way restaurant near the hospital in 1998 led to love blossoming under the golden arches.

The couple who live in Rowley Regis have now been married for 10 years and have two children, Max, aged eight, and Harry, four.

Karen recently joined Holyhead Road from another local branch as assistant manager, while she studies for a degree in history at the University of Wolverhampton.

Meanwhile, Rob’s father Trevor, 69, came to McDonald’s as a technician in 1991 and mother Margaret joined the All Saints Road branch in 1998 as dining area hostess and charity co-ordinator.

Trevor and Margaret, who live in Wednesbury, also cross paths in the work place.

Margaret, aged 66, said: “Trevor does early morning shifts and I work a bit later so I don’t see too much of him but when I do I can ask him what he wants for his tea.” The four work their shifts around looking after Max and Harry.

They say with the help of a flexible working agreement run by the firm to allow family members to swap shifts without prior notice they can all spend plenty of time with the boys as they grow up.