McDonald’s ordered to train workers on social distancing

Several McDonald’s franchises were ordered to train workers about social distancing and enforce mask policies in a court ruling Wednesday.

In Massey v. McDonald’s Corp., Cook County Circuit Court Judge Eve Reilly found that two of the Chicago-based franchises named in the lawsuit failed to comply with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s executive order on COVID-19 mask requirements and inadequately trained workers on social distancing protocols.

The lawsuit, filed in May by a class of Chicago-area McDonald’s workers, sought to require the company and the franchises named in the complaint to comply with health guidance and provide proper protective equipment for workers.

The judge granted the workers’ emergency motion for a preliminary injunction against McDonald’s Restaurants of Illinois Inc. and DAK4 LLC.

“The potential risk of harm to these plaintiffs and the community at large is severe,” Judge Reilly said in the order. “The hardship McDonald’s would suffer by strictly enforcing its mask policy and retraining employees on proper social distancing procedures is slight.”

Lexi Management LLC was not enjoined because the company no longer owns the McDonald’s location identified in the lawsuit.

Although the judge did find that the franchisees provided sufficient masks, gloves and sanitizer to workers and adequately monitored virus cases and symptoms among employees, she ordered the store owners to enforce all mask-wearing policies when employees are not six feet apart and to train workers on social distancing that is consistent with Gov. Pritzker’s executive order.

McDonald’s Corp. said in an email to Business Insurance that it was pleased the judge “found that strong measures are already in place across these Chicagoland restaurants.”

“These measures are part of the 50 processes we have enhanced during the pandemic to keep restaurant employees and customers safe,” said the company.  

More insurance and workers compensation news on the coronavirus crisis here.