A new mobile application called Escalate is being used at several McDonald’s locations to provide employees with emergency assistance for transportation, food, and childcare. The app, developed by a startup founded by Sienna Daniel and Sean Segal, aims to reduce workplace absenteeism by addressing the practical barriers that prevent lower-wage workers from reporting for their shifts.
The founders, who previously worked in the nonprofit sector, launched the initiative after observing that skills training alone was often insufficient to help workers maintain employment when faced with domestic emergencies. They partnered with Hopkins-Navies Ford Management, a franchise operating seven McDonald’s restaurants in Prince George’s County, Maryland, to pilot the program starting in late 2024.
Under the program, employees can request up to three forms of assistance per month, including Uber vouchers, grocery gift cards, or Visa gift cards to pay for informal childcare. According to Escalate, more than 80% of requests are for transportation assistance. If a worker exceeds three requests, the app connects them with a coach to develop a long-term plan for stability. To maintain employee trust, the startup keeps individual requests confidential from franchise management.
The scale of the program's impact is measured in both operational costs and worker retention. Industry estimates cited in the report suggest a missed fast-food shift costs a business at least $300 due to lost sales from abandoned drive-through lines and the expense of paying remaining staff overtime. Escalate estimates the app saved the seven franchise locations approximately $35,000 per month in callout-related costs during the pilot period. The franchise pays a flat fee of $250 per store per month for the service, plus the direct cost of the vouchers, which averaged another $250 per store.
The use of this technology marks a shift in how employers manage low-wage labor by investing directly in worker logistics to stabilize their own operations. The startup uses artificial intelligence (AI) and overseas coaches to manage costs while scaling to other industries, including retail and manufacturing. Next month, franchise owner Mary Hopkins-Navies is scheduled to introduce the program to the National Black McDonald’s Operators Association in Atlanta to encourage wider adoption across the brand's network.