Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

McDonald’s workers say sexual harassment and retaliation persist

McDonald’s workers say sexual harassment and retaliation persist

Employees say they have been fired and written up after reporting sexual harassment to corporate HR
Workers at McDonald’s, the largest fast-food chain in the world, are highlighting sexual harassment and retaliation against workers at its stores, an issue they say persists despite claims of reforms and changes by McDonald’s in recent years.

Rosalia Manuel of San Jose, California worked at McDonald’s for 24 years, first starting when she was 17 years old.

On 8 July, Manuel was fired from her job, a decision she says was made in retaliation for reporting the sexual harassment of a co-worker to corporate HR, while she was told the termination was because she didn’t take a work break early enough in her shift.

In February, Manuel witnessed a co-worker running to the bathroom to hide from a male co-worker, after which the co-worker told her about the sexual harassment she was experiencing from the male co-worker, who was related to one of the managers.

The male co-worker continuously propositioned her co-worker, bought her gifts, touched her inappropriately and offered to pay her to go to a motel with him. Manuel reported the harassment on her behalf to corporate HR, which resulted in the male co-worker’s removal from the store, but their manager was irate with Manuel for not reporting it to her.

“They started messing with us. They started getting on top of us, writing complaints for any little thing,” said Manuel.

The harassed co-worker was written up, suspended for a week, and then fired. On 1 July, Manuel was written up for taking a break too late while the store was short-staffed, and was fired when she returned to work on 8 July.

“I was shocked. I went to my car and started to cry because I knew I had done the right thing, yet I was being fired and punished for it,” said Manuel.

She has filed a complaint over her firing with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

“They want us to be quiet,” added Manuel. “I want people to know what’s going on, how they are exploiting us, and at the same time they’re saying something else in their promotions.”

In 2020, a class-action lawsuit was filed against McDonald’s in the US over systemic sexual harassment issues in restaurants, representing 5,000 women at more than 100 McDonald’s locations. A judge denied the company’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit in 2021.

In April, McDonald’s reached a $1.5m settlement over a separate class-action lawsuit filed in 2019 over sexual harassment issues in Michigan.

On 28 July, a worker at a McDonald’s in New Orleans, Louisiana, filed a lawsuit against McDonald’s for sexual harassment they experienced on the job and retaliation they experienced for reporting it to management in late 2020 and early 2021.

An international coalition of labor unions in 2020 filed a complaint with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in the Netherlands against McDonald’s, accusing the company of systemic sexual harassment globally, citing numerous incidents in the US, Brazil and France.

In Brazil, the senate held a public hearing on 8 August over working conditions in fast-food chains, prompted by numerous incidents of sexual harassment and racism at McDonald’s restaurants in Brazil.

Gabriel Milbrat, who testified at the hearing, won a settlement against McDonald’s after he experienced numerous incidents of sexual harassment and racial discrimination while working at a McDonald’s in São Paulo. He quit his job after a manager who was sexually harassing him had snuck up on him in the break room and ejaculated on him.

“That was my cue to leave McDonald’s, leave everything behind. It was in the middle of the pandemic and my mom was sick at the time, she had had a labor accident, and I was thinking to myself and asking God, come on there’s a pandemic, everything is shut down, how can I find another job because I was the only person who had a salary at home?” Milbrat told the Guardian.

McDonald’s has also faced numerous other allegations of abuses around the world, including a recent $1.3bn settlement for tax evasion in France and being forced to remove antitrust clauses in franchising contracts in Italy after an investigation into anti-competitive concerns that began in 2021.

In Australia, a union representing more than 250,000 current and former McDonald’s workers filed a claim in August seeking up to $250m in alleged unpaid wages for denied rest breaks.

Workers in the US have decried other forms of retaliation and discrimination at McDonald’s, in addition to low wages and working conditions during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Seberiana Reymundo, a McDonald’s worker in Saratoga, California, for 15 years, filed a complaint earlier this year over not being paid sick leave while fighting cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. She also claimed her hours were cut after she requested accommodations on the job while she was waiting for a liver transplant.

“They said, ‘You’re no use to me,’” said Reymundo. “My doctor wrote a note, I got the note and brought it to my managers and after I presented them with my doctor’s note and that’s when they started retaliating against me.”

McDonald’s did not comment specifically on the allegations or lawsuits.

In regards to the US allegations, a spokesperson said in an email: “McDonald’s has been clear that sexual harassment will not be tolerated. Everyone who works under the Arches should be able to confidently show up to work each day in a place that is safe, respectful and inclusive. As announced in 2021, McDonald’s is requiring Global Brand Standards at all restaurants worldwide effective January 1, 2022, to reinforce our commitment to these values.”

In regards to the Brazil allegations, the spokesperson added: “Arcos Dorados, the company that operates McDonald’s restaurants in 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, does not tolerate any practice of harassment or discrimination.”
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Man Convicted of Fraud After Booking Over 120 Free Flights Posing as Flight Attendant
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Beata Thunberg Rebrands as Beata Ernman Amidst Sister's Activism Controversy
Hungarian Parliament Approves Citizenship Suspension Law
Prime Minister Orbán Criticizes EU's Ukraine Accession Plans
Hungarian Delicacies Introduced to Japanese Market
Hungary's Industrial Output Rises Amid Battery Sector Slump
President Sulyok Celebrates 15 Years of Hungarian Unity Efforts
Hungary's Szeleczki Shines at World Judo Championships
Visegrád Construction Trends Diverge as Hungary Lags
Hungary Hosts National Quantum Technology Workshop
Hungarian Animation Featured at Annecy Festival
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
UK and EU Reach New Economic Agreement
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
UK and EU Reach Agreement on Gibraltar's Schengen Integration
Israeli Finance Minister Imposes Banking Penalties on Palestinians
U.S. Inflation Rises to 2.4% in May Amid Trade Tensions
Trump's Policies Prompt Decline in Chinese Student Enrollment in U.S.
Global Oceans Near Record Temperatures as CO₂ Levels Climb
Trump Announces U.S.-China Trade Deal Covering Rare Earths
Smuggled U.S. Fuel Funds Mexican Cartels Amid Crackdown
Austrian School Shooting Leaves Nine Dead in Graz
Bezos's Lavish Venice Wedding Sparks Local Protests
Europe Prepares for Historic Lunar Rover Landing
Italian Parents Seek Therapy Amid Lengthy School Holidays
British Fishing Vessel Seized by France Fined €30,000
Dutch Government Collapses Amid Migration Policy Dispute
UK Commits to 3.5% GDP Defence Spending Under NATO Pressure
Germany Moves to Expedite Migrant Deportations
US Urges UK to Raise Defence Spending to 5% of GDP
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Low Turnout Jeopardizes Italy's Citizenship Reform Referendum
Transatlantic Interest Rate Divergence Widens as Trump Pressures Powell
EU Lawmaker Calls for Broader Exemptions in Supply Chain Legislation
France's Defense Spending Plans Threatened by High National Debt
European Small-Cap Stocks Outperform U.S. Rivals Amid Growth Revival
Switzerland Proposes $26 Billion Capital Increase for UBS
×