In 1964, congress passed the Civil Rights Act which prohibits employment discrimination based on sex, religion, national origin, or race. In 1980, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) specified that sexual harassment is considered a form of sex discrimination prohibited by the Civil Rights Act. Although workplace sexual harassment has been against the law for 30 years, many believe that the issue has never been taken as seriously as is has in recent years. Spurred by the social media #MeToo movement and a number of other events, more and more women and men are coming forward and reporting sexual harassment. Now, one of the biggest companies in the world is facing a major lawsuit regarding alleged systemic sexual harassment.
Workers Claim McDonald’s Does Not Take Enough Action to Address Sexual Harassment
Recently, McDonald’s staff in Florida announced that they were filing a $500 million sexual harassment lawsuit against the fast food chain. The two women named in the lawsuit have filed the suit on behalf of the 5,000 women who work at the Florida restaurants. They claim that many staff are subject to sexual and derogatory comments, jokes, and even physical assaults.
One of the women explained that she had been forced to endure rude comments about her body, unwanted sexual contact, and explicit pictures while she was simply trying to do her job. When she reported her coworkers’ unacceptable behavior, she claims that her work hours were reduced and that she was eventually fired.
The other plaintiff also claims to have faced verbal and physical harassment at work. She states that one coworker even went so far as to make a sexual remark about her one-year-old daughter. According to the complaint, she too reported the harassment and then received reduced work hours.
Retaliation against an employee for reporting sexual harassment or discrimination violates both state and federal laws. This most recent class-action lawsuit is one of more than 50 complaints filed against the company in the past three years. In addition to damages, the lawsuit is calling for McDonald’s to implement better anti-harassment policies and training.
Contact a DuPage County Sexual Harassment Lawyer
No one should ever be forced to endure sexual harassment or retaliation at work. If you have been a victim of sexual harassment or you were retaliated against by your employer after reporting sexual harassment, contact Mirabella, Kincaid, Frederick & Mirabella, LLC. We have helped countless clients stand up for their rights and pursue compensation, and we are prepared to put that experience to work for you. Call our office at 630-665-7300 today and schedule a confidential consultation with a skilled Wheaton employment discrimination attorney.
Sources:
https://www.businessinsider.com/workers-file-sexual-harassment-lawsuit-against-mcdonalds-2020-4
https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/sexual_harassment.cfm
