Another McDonald’s Franchise Owner to Pay $$$ for Inappropriate Conduct

In August 2022, we told you about a McDonald’s franchise owner in Vermont that paid $1.6M to settle a sex discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”). Now, a different McDonald’s franchise owner – AMTCR, Inc., AMTCR Nevada, Inc., and AMTCR California, LLC (AMTCR), a franchise owner operating approximately 18 McDonald’s restaurants in Nevada, Arizona, and California – will pay about $2M, among other relief, to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the EEOC. According to the EEOC, since at least 2017, AMTCR knew about sexual harassment by supervisors, managers, and coworkers at some of its McDonald’s restaurants and allowed it to continue. The lawsuit alleges the harassing conduct was mainly directed at young, teenage employees and included frequent unwanted touching, offensive comments, unwelcome sexual advances, and intimidation. The lawsuit further alleges that because AMTCR failed to adequately address complaints about the sexual harassment, many workers were forced to quit because they found the working conditions intolerable.

What would a respectful workplace have done?

Respectful workplaces ensure the work environment is safe for all employees, and do not tolerate sexual harassment, intimidation, or other inappropriate behavior. They encourage employees to report concerns of inappropriate conduct, and take prompt, thorough, and meaningful action to stop such conduct and prevent it from reoccurring.  

Illegal retaliation – getting even with a whistleblower or an employee who has complained about discrimination or harassment – is the hottest employment issue of the decade. Train your executives and managers so they can avoid retaliation claims through our Managing Within the Law course and Harassment Prevention Training—newly revised for 2023!  To book training for your company, please call us at 800-458-2778 or send us an email.