Queens McDonald’s owner violated worker protection laws

A McDonald’s in Sunnyside. The pictured McDonald’s was not part of the lawsuit. Eagle photo by Victoria Merlino.

By Victoria Merlino

Workers in five Queens McDonald’s locations will receive a payout from their employer, following an investigation that revealed that the owner violated almost every aspect of New York City’s Fair Workweek and Paid Safe and Sick Leave laws. 

The five locations, owned by Thomas Parker and Star Parker LLC, failed to provide schedules to employees, or receive written consent from employees when schedules changed, according to a Department of Consumer and Worker Protection investigation. They also failed to pay employee premiums after schedules changes without two weeks prior notice, scheduled employees to close stores late at night and then open them early the next day without prior consent, had an illegal sick leave policy, and did not let employees use sick leave. 

Parker and the company took away shifts and reduced the hours of those trying to exercise employee rights, and fired an employee for the same reason. 

The affected employees work at locations in Jamaica, Astoria and Woodside, according to Queens Patch.

“Violating a worker’s right to paid safe and sick leave and a predictable schedule is not only illegal, it is immoral. It is unacceptable that employers continue to retaliate against employees for exercising their rights,” said DCWP Commissioner Lorelei Salas in a statement. “Let this settlement be an example to all employers who think they are above the law – you are not.”

Star Parker will have to pay $155,000 in restitution to its 280 workers, as well as supply all managers and supervisors with law compliance training. 

In November 2017, the city tightened its fast food worker protections with the Fair Workweek Law, which mandates employers set predictable work schedules, give advance notice of shifts and provide premiums for certain undesirable shifts. The Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law, meanwhile, mandates employers to provide paid sick leave if they have five or more employees working at least 80 hours each year.