NPR Feature
NPR spent a morning across seven McDonald’s restaurants run by owner-operator Imani Ford, in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Crews reach Escalate for rides, groceries and childcare, in the 90 minutes before a shift starts. The story runs just under five minutes.
What the story covers
- Ebert is on his first job and does not have a car. When the bus will not work, a ride gets him to his shift on time.
- Veronica used Escalate through January’s ice storm. She is a crew trainer now, and she trains the people who come in after her.
- Chantel has been with the company since 1993. She walked into each restaurant and had the conversation herself, which is why the crews trusted it.
How Escalate prevents expensive call-outs
Escalate prevents call-outs by removing the reason for them. When something goes wrong before a shift, the worker sends a request to Escalate, and Escalate resolves it directly, most often transportation, sometimes childcare or food. Every request stays confidential from the employer, which is why workers use it. The result is fewer call-outs, steadier staffing, and less money spent covering open shifts.
The support goes beyond the day of the shift
The day-of request is only part of the service. Escalate gives frontline teams access to more than 100 support services across three areas.
- Personal Support: housing, utilities, food, benefits, legal aid and therapy.
- Work Support: attendance, schedules, training, and issues with a manager or coworker.
- Economic advancement: career coaching, credentials, certifications and career pathways.
The support has guardrails built in: a worker can make three requests a month. After the third, Escalate connects them with a coach, a person who works with the worker on the barrier behind the requests, so the same problem stops coming back.
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