McDonald's Faces Class Action Over Lack Of Worker Protection Against Coronavirus

McDonald's Corporation MCD is facing a class-action lawsuit with allegations that it didn't provide workers with adequate safety measures against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Reuters reported.

What Happened

The lawsuit was filed by five workers of the fast food chain in Chicago, according to Reuters. It alleges that McDonald's failed to provide basic protective gear like face masks, gloves, and hand sanitizers to the workers.

The Chicago-based company also didn't notify workers when someone at their facility tested positive for the deadly virus, the lawsuit said, as per Reuters. The workers are seeking an injunction from the court to require McDonald's to increase worker safety.

This would include mandatory wearing of face coverings for customers, letting workers change masks during a shift, and requiring the company to inform all workers at a restaurant if one of their colleagues tests positive for COVID-19.

McDonald's dubbed the allegations "inaccurate" in a statement to Reuters.

The company's employees in 20 different cities are also planning a mass walkout later on Wednesday to protest the lack of safety, as reported by USA Today.

Yet, it isn't the only company being criticized by their employees for safety during the pandemic. Other essential businesses that have been operating during the lockdowns, including Amazon.com Inc. AMZN, Walmart Inc. WMT, and Smithfield Foods Inc. face similar complaints.

Price Action

McDonald's shares closed 0.14% lower at $179.57 on Tuesday and were mostly unchanged in the after-hours session.