McDonald’s Franchise Settles Employee’s Covid-19 Safety Lawsuit

A 2020 lawsuit against a McDonald’s franchise based in Oakland, California claimed that managers of the fast-food restaurant had given employees coffee filters and dog diapers in place of proper face masks. The franchise has agreed to improve its safety precautions to protect employees from covid-19 to settle the lawsuit. 

In the settlement, the Oakland franchise said it would provide employees with proper masks and gloves, paid sick leave, would maintain social distancing, and would regularly disinfect surfaces and require any employee with covid-19 symptoms to stay at home. On top of these measures, the franchise will also establish a worker safety committee which will require the franchise’s owner and managers to meet with employees each month to discuss how they can continue to maintain a safe workplace. Fight for $15 and the Union involved in the lawsuit said that the worker safety committee would be the first of its kind.

However, the Oakland franchise denied any wrongdoing and it remains unclear as to whether the settlement included a financial element. In a statement, Michael Smith, the Oakland franchise’s operator, said that the restaurant had started to implement the measures detailed in the settlement over a year ago. He went on to say that the franchise will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure that the sites remain as safe as possible.

On Wednesday, amid a surge of covid-19 cases in the country, McDonald’s said it will require all US office workers to be vaccinated.