Employees from 13 different McDonald’s locations in Chicago have filed a lawsuit against the company this week for putting workers at "daily risk" of violence. ABC News Chicago reports that the group of 17 employees said McDonald's has not put enough consideration into the safety of workers, citing the threat of dangerous customers.
The workers have said there is a "citywide and nationwide" pattern of recurring violence. Police reportedly have to respond to over 20 911 calls each day in McDonald's branches in Chicago. A number of specifically violent incidents were noted in the lawsuit, including the time a customer urinated on one of the workers.
"McDonald's has failed, at a systemic level, to protect its workers from violence in the workplace," said the group of employees' attorney Danny Rosenthal. "Throughout the country, McDonald's workers are regularly threatened, assaulted, and injured by customers." The lawsuit additionally claims McDonald's has cut corners in an attempt to increase profits, making the restaurants in Chicago even more dangerous. The company has allegedly ignored the "recommended practice" of installing drive-thru windows that do not allow customers to crawl through them.
In response to the lawsuit, McDonald's said it takes the safety of its employees very seriously. "McDonald's takes seriously its responsibility to provide and foster a safe working environment for our employees, and along with our franchisees, continue to make investments in training programs that uphold safe environments for customers and crew members," the statement from the company reads.
