(CNN) — It seems that McDonald’s has finally realized how tone-deaf its internal employee resource website was. It has shut it down.
The final straw? A tip on the site to employees to avoid McDonald’s fare.
A graphic on the site shows a meal with a cheeseburger, fries and drink under the caption “Unhealthy choice.” Next to it is a picture of a sub, a salad and water under the caption “Healthier choice.”
The latest embarrassment is among a string that’s cropped up since the McResource Line website went live.
A McResource budget-planning guide for its employees was ridiculed in July for being out of touch.
“For starters, it didn’t account for food and gasoline,” CNNMoney reported. “The second line on the sample budget leaves room for income from a second job, which many called an admission by the fast food giant that its workers can’t live on its wages alone.”
And then earlier this month, NBC News reported that the site offered a guide on how much one should tip a pool cleaner, housekeeper, and even an au pair.
The only problem: The University of California Berkeley Labor Center and University of Illinois released a study in October that said 52% of families of fast food workers receive assistance from a public program like Medicaid, food stamps, the Earned Income Tax Credit or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
The fast food giant found itself again having to deflect unwanted attention from its internal site this week after CNBC reported that McResource ostensibly advises McDonald’s employees to not eat at McDonald’s.
“Fast foods are quick, reasonably priced, and readily available alternatives to home cooking. While convenient and economical for a busy lifestyle, fast foods are typically high in calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar, and salt and may put people at risk for becoming overweight.”
Visitors to McResource Line on Wednesday were greeted with this statement: “We are temporarily performing some maintenance in order to provide you with the best experience possible. Please excuse us while these upgrades are being made.”
McDonald’s confirmed the site had been taken down in a statement posted on its website. “A combination of factors has led us to re-evaluate and we’ve directed the vendor to take down the website. Between links to irrelevant or outdated information, along with outside groups taking elements out of context, this created unwarranted scrutiny and inappropriate commentary. None of this helps our McDonald’s team members.”
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