Fast-food restaurants have been under a lot of scrutiny recently, with much of the pressure coming from their own employees. And McDonald’s Inc. is no exception. The golden arches have been the target of employee suits related to wage-and-hour laws, and have been the subject of widespread protests to raise the minimum wage for fast-food workers. Now, McDonald’s has another item to add to its menu of employment headaches: allegations of serious workplace safety violations.
Some 28 McDonald’s workers from 19 U.S. cities have filed complaints this month with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, claiming that their employer has failed to take proper measures to keep them safe on the job. The workers, who detailed these alleged dangers on their own website, say that McDonald’s creates dangerous conditions by combining understaffing with pressure to work too quickly. Specific allegations include a lack of basic first-aid kits and protective gear in the workplace, and reports that supervisors tell workers to treat burns in the kitchen with condiments.
