Employees at Quick-Service Chains Like McDonald's and Starbucks Are Starting To Speak Out

Waiters, baristas and cashiers “often encounter routine risks, violence, and injuries while on the job. And, they are increasingly unwilling to stay silent on the dangers of the fast-food industry,” according to an article in Business Insider. Twenty-year-old McDonald’s worker Yasmine James was recently attacked by a male customer in a now-viral video, but her experience isn’t an isolated incident, according to the article.

“A customer recently burned a teenage McDonald's drive-thru worker by throwing hot coffee her face” at a location in South Carolina, the article said. Other instances include the assault of a pizza delivery driver and a Church’s Chicken employee who was threatened at gunpoint by a customer denied a refund, the article said.

Starbucks recently introduced needle disposal boxes after employees were inundated with the task of throwing away dirty needles in the coffee chain’s bathrooms.

The article noted that some chains say they are working to protect their workers.

“‘Our highest priority is always the safety and well-being of our employees and customers at our restaurants,’ a McDonald's representative said in a statement last week,” according to the article.