‘I wasn’t going to sit back’
A pensioner has told how he spent one day in retirement before quitting and returning to work.
Daryl Holmes, 72, had barely given retirement a chance when he decided it wasn’t for him and applied for a job at Wallsend McDonald’s in Sydney, Australia.
The former disability sector worker has since become a local legend at the Newcastle franchise, beloved by customers and his colleagues.
Daryl works as a customer experience leader, greeting customers and helping them use the self-serve kiosks, before delivering their food to their tables.
Speaking to 2GB’s Chris O’Keefe, Daryl said he has been playing golf “all my life”, so didn’t need more time off to pursue the hobbies associated with the retirement years.
“I’ve always loved to work,” he said, explaining that his wife still had several more years of work left, “So I wasn’t going to sit back”.
“I was going to go out and find something that I could actually apply myself to and enjoy it at the same time.”
Despite Daryl having undergone two knee operations, he’s been on the floor at McDonald’s for six years now.
He’s the chain’s oldest Australian employee and enjoys passing down his wisdom to younger colleagues.
That knowledge, he explained, was “the importance of enjoying what you do, learning from it and making sure they’ve got someone when times are tough to talk to”.
Daryl said he saw his role as being “like their grandfather”, and shared a warm affection for his fellow workers, who he described as “unbelievable, it’s a real privilege to work for them”
One of Daryl’s favourite parts of the job is the annual Monopoly promotion where he puts on a moustache, top hat and bowtie to become the game’s mascot, Rich Uncle Pennybags in-store.
As for when he will actually retire, Daryl hasn’t ruled out working until he hits 80.
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