By 
Times up McDonalds. The #MeToo movement has come for you.
Fast food giant, McDonalds, is facing 25 charges and complaints of sexual harassment from workers.
The sexual harassment charges allege the women endured groping, indecent exposure, propositions for sex, sexual advances, and lewd comments from supervisors.
Many of the workers were treated like their complaints were a joke or they were flat out ignored. Additionally, workers faced retaliation for filing complaints such as reduced hours, inflexible hours, hostility at work, verbal abuse, unwarranted repercussions, threats of losing their job, terminations, and loss of job benefits and training programs.
The workers are supported by the American Civil Liberties Union, the organization Fight For $15, and the Times Up Legal Defense Fund who announced the latest claims.
Twenty of the complaints are from the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, three are civil rights lawsuits, and the last two are lawsuits from prior allegations.
Eve Cervantes, the attorney representing the female workers, stated that some of the workers were only 16-17 years old when they first began being sexually harassed at McDonalds.
McDonalds and other fast food businesses are often the first job teenagers land. Fight For $15 states on their website that 4 in 10 women working in fast food restaurants face sexual harassment on the job.
Advocates hope to see McDonalds do more to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
McDonalds responded to say that they have begun working with Rape, Abuse & Incest National Organization to implement better policies concerning sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. They also mentioned that they recently rolled out a new interactive training program for all managers in franchises and corporate locations. However, they also noted that franchise locations, which make up 90%-95% locations, are independent businesses that do not have to implement the training nor the policies!
These policies and training therefore are not effective. More must be done to protect workers against sexual harassment and other inappropriate conduct in the workplace.
Have you or someone you know suffered sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation in the workplace while working in the fast-food or restaurant industry?
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