McDonald’s Forced to Pay MILLIONS in Damages After Losing Lawsuit to Frustrated Employees

McDonald’s is one of the most widely known fast-food chains in the entire world, having thousands of franchises worldwide that offer cheap and delicious meals to fast food lovers.

Some of us even know the menu by heart, obviously, because it’s a restaurant we all love to frequent. However, do you have any idea about what goes behind the scenes of this famous fast-food giant?

No, we’re not talking about the meal preparations of your orders nor the questionable ingredients that go into their secret Big Mac sauce. Instead, we are concerned about the well-being of the employees who take our orders and prepare our food.

You would think that a company as big as McDonald’s would be rich enough to pay its staff well, maybe even more than its competitors but that’s far from the truth.

Workers weren’t given breaks

 7-Year Long Lawsuit

Still, those who listen to the news would know that this is not the case. For years now, McDonald’s has faced public uproar after its employees cried foul over maltreatment.

Seven years ago, workers sued the fast-food giant, bringing along a multitude of complaints that mostly reflected the inhumane and unjust treatment they faced from the management.

In short, McDonald’s has violated quite a few labor laws. About 38,000 cashiers and cooks in the California corporate-owned branches revealed that from as early as 2009, the company hasn’t been paying its employees for working overtime, or the hours that exceeded the standard eight-hour period as per the overtime law.

In one instance, an employee who was assigned a night-shift had some hours considered as part of the day shift, which is a clear indication that the company cheated to avoid additional costs.

What’s even more bothersome is that workers are prohibited from taking breaks during their shift and were only allowed to rest before or after their work, which isn’t exactly a break. The lawsuit also stated that the employees weren’t given meals during their shifts.

The company allegedly cheated on its employees to avoid paying for overtime work

Settlement

After a long battle, McDonald’s finally buckled, agreeing to pay $26 million to the aggrieved employees. It says that it remains committed to upholding its responsibility as an employer and will comply with the labor laws in the future.

However, it later backtracked on its statement and denied any wrongdoings, insisting that it followed the state labor laws. According to the settlement, it will pay unpaid overtime work, give employees breaks in between their shifts provide meals, and cover the cost of cleaning their uniforms.

The news came in less than a month after McDonald’s fired its CEO Steve Easterbrook for having a relationship with another employee. It said that the official violated its policies, hence the decision. This was despite the man’s many beneficial contributions to the company during his tenure.

The company fired Steve Easterbrook for dating a coworker

Other Lawsuits

This is hardly the first time McDonald’s has earned the public’s ire. Earlier this November, Michigan crew and American Civil Liberties Union lambasted the food chain and sued the company for allegedly allowing harassment to transpire in shops whether franchised or owned by the corporation.

Less than 10 days later, another lawsuit was brought to light – this time, from staff in Chicago who were irritated with McDonald’s new store design and claimed that it made them vulnerable to violent attacks.