Fast-food giant McDonalds (NYSE: MCD) is the subject of a class-action lawsuit filed by employees over the alleged lack of safeguards to protect them from the spread of the coronavirus. A separate intent to sue has been filed by other employees as well.
The lawsuit was filed in Illinois by five workers and four of their family members. By filing the class-action suit, the group is hoping to get an Illinois court to issue an injunction to force McDonald's to enact policy changes. The desired policy changes include requiring customers to wear face masks, requiring managers to inform their staff when a store's employee falls ill with the virus and preventing employees from re-using old face masks.
The lawsuit alleges that the company did not provide adequate Personal Protective Equipment for restaurant staff, nor did managers inform staff when a fellow employee had become infected with the coronavirus.
McDonald's, for its part, has denied allegations. In a statement sent to Today, the company contested the allegations as "inaccurate characterizations." The company went on to state, "Crew and managers are the heart and soul of the restaurants in which they work, and their safety and well-being is a top priority that guides our decision making. Since February, McDonald's USA has updated nearly 50 processes to keep restaurant employees and customers safe and has issued a 59-page guide outlining national standards restaurants must implement."
The lawsuit in Illinois is far from the only allegation that McDonald's faces, however. The company is facing a potential lawsuit in California, where employees at three separate restaurants have filed notices of intent to sue with the state. McDonald's is allowed 33 days to fix the violations alleged by the workers, or the lawsuit will be allowed to proceed. The company also faces a mass walkout; employees in 20 different cities are set to hold a mass walkout to protest the lack of protective action by McDonald's.
McDonald's employees in 17 different states have become ill with the coronavirus, according to labor organizers. A survey of workers found 46% came to work while feeling ill out of fear of being penalized, while 42% said they were told by management not to wear masks or gloves.
McDonald's is just one of several companies facing intense scrutiny due to allegations of lackluster measures to protect employees. Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has faced rampant allegations of an inadequate response with protecting employees amid the virus, with widespread infections reported at warehouses across the United States. Walmart (NYSE: WMT) is facing a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of an employee who died from coronavirus complications.