by Stephen D. Hans | Aug 8, 2023 | Sexual Harassment, Sexual Harassment in the Restaurant Industry
Sexual Harassment Issues in the Restaurant Industry A McDonalds franchise, AMTCR, Inc. settled their sexual harassment lawsuit with the EEOC in January 2023. AMTCR is a franchise owner operating approximately 18 McDonald’s restaurants in Nevada, Arizona and California. What were the details of the case? The EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) brought the case against AMTCR on behalf of the workers. The case revealed that AMTCR knew supervisors, managers, and co-workers were sexually harassing employees at various McDonald restaurants. However, they allowed the harassment to continue and did nothing to deal with it. What types of harassment occurred? The targeted employees were young males and females. The behavior violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and included unwanted: Touching Offensive remarks Sexual advances Intimidation The unwanted behavior had occurred since 2017. The EEOC filed its original complaint in Sept. 2021. It complained of the alleged harassment of 11 victims. The hostile work environments and sexual abuse had resulted in most of these employees quitting their jobs. What were the details of the settlement? A U.S. District Judge in Las Vegas heard the case, and the case settled for $1,997,500. Eligible complainants will receive the money from the payout. In addition, the judge’s decree required AMTCR to maintain an outside monitor for overseeing how the company handled their harassment and retaliation complaints. AMTCR agreed to do the following: Improve employee training Track harassment and retaliation complaints Survey employees annually regarding workplace conditions Details of an earlier McDonalds lawsuit that involved McDonalds directly McDonalds was not a party in the above lawsuit. However, in April of 2021, McDonalds...
by Stephen D. Hans | Jun 28, 2022 | Sexual Harassment in the Restaurant Industry
What You Should Know as an Employer Sexual harassment in the restaurant industry is more extensive than in any other industry (that reports sexual harassment). This may come as a shock to employers. If you are a restauranteur, it is wise to take preventative measures. Eliminating sexual harassment is vital for protecting your business against lawsuits. Facts Uncovered About Sexual Harassment in the Restaurant Industry In January 2021, Social Science Research Solutions (SRSS) conducted a national survey in the restaurant industry. Here were some of the findings: The percentage of women restaurant workers that experienced sexual harassment at work was 71%. This statistic was significantly higher than in any other industry. Not only did customers harass female restaurant workers, so did supervisors, managers and restaurant owners. The combined total of tipped and non-tipped workers experiencing sexual harassment from someone in an ownership or management role was 44%. Tipped workers experienced sexual harassment at a far higher rate than non-tipped workers in four out of five states. The ratio was 76% compared with 52%. The types of sexual harassment tipped workers experienced included: sexist treatment, sexually aggressive and degrading behavior, persistent and intrusive sexual attention, and being coerced or threatened into unwanted sexual activity. Harassment was not a one-time experience but often persisted for days, weeks and in some instances, months. In fact, 37% described harassment that lasted a month or more. In some cases, frequent harassment behavior occurred during almost every shift. Tipped workers reported that they were encouraged to forget about the harassment more frequently than non-tipped workers (39% vs. 23%). In general, 71% of female tipped workers...
