McDonald’s Managers Allegedly Admit to Stealing Employee Wages

Following a spate of unpaid overtime class action lawsuits filed against McDonald’s in three states, there have been significant developments including a renewed call for the federal government to get involved.

An employment rights group got two ex-employees to state that they had to force workers to violate wage and hour statutes including the Fair Labor Standards Act. At least seven McDonald’s class action lawsuits have been filed by employees accusing the fast food chain of stealing their minimum wages.

Two ex-managers for McDonald’s told Low Pay is Not Okay that they had restaurant staff clock out before they would go into overtime as well as denying breaks and not paying for preparation work. If true, this could bolster claims raised in the McDonald’s overtime class action lawsuits. Yet some people have continued to argue that these employees will find it difficult to seek damages based on violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

There are also some things that  many who are watching unpaid overtime class action lawsuit attorneys fight McDonald’s could be missing. While McDonald’s is generally a franchise operation, meaning that there is a business relationship between it and its various facilities, most are individually owned and operated. According to the company, roughly one in five locations worldwide are operated by the company, although it is unclear what that ratio is in the United States specifically.

The other major difference between these new cases and those filed against other companies regarding unpaid over time and wage and hour statute violations is what these plaintiffs are targeting. Trying to hold McDonald’s liable for how its franchises operate is a potentially difficult task.

Because the company requires all franchisees to use the same type of computer system to track hours worked, it means that if any policies emanated from headquarters or there was enough data to indicate violations of wage and hour statutes, there would be a more direct link involved in the McDonald’s unpaid overtime class action lawsuits.

Some have suggested that if the federal government stepped up its enforcement efforts it would have resolve the situation. One general counsel for a nonprofit assessed the likelihood of an investigation at about one in 1,000. It can be difficult for workers whose rights could be getting violated because they have to speak up and there isn’t any consistent monitoring of the situation.

If you think that you have missed out on pay due to violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act or other laws, you may have legal remedies available. Unpaid overtime class action lawsuit attorneys are currently investigating claims of this nature. Get a free case eligibility review at the Unpaid Overtime Lawsuit: Wage & Hour, Overtime Pay Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. If you qualify, you will receive a free consultation with one of these attorneys to review your legal rights.