New York City bans cashless stores

New York City is now the largest city in the U.S. to ban cash-free stores, joining Philadelphia, San Francisco and New Jersey.

By Julie Littman • Jan. 24, 2020

McDonald's app connects workers to education benefits, growth opportunities

The mobile application may touch on a few trends: employer branding, talent pathways and retention.

By Katie Clarey • Jan. 22, 2020

Indiana McDonald's workers can learn on the job via 'crosswalk credits'

Three hundred of the restaurants will partner with Ivy Tech Community College to help employees advance their education.

By Katie Clarey • Jan. 14, 2020

DOL narrows 'joint employer' definition in final rule

The new standard is effective March 16 and looks to reduce questions of responsibility that sparked recent lawsuits against restaurant chains for their franchisees' wage and scheduling violations.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Jan. 13, 2020

Only 34% of operators 'very confident' they can identify food safety concerns

Comparatively, in 2018, 50% of operators felt they could identify food safety risks before they became an issue, according to a study from Zenput and Technomic. 

By Alicia Kelso • Jan. 9, 2020

Judge denies Uber, Postmates injunction in AB-5 case

U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee said the law doesn't target app-based businesses, as the two companies argued, and doesn't violate the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause. 

By Jennifer Carsen , Emma Liem Beckett • Updated Feb. 11, 2020

Starbucks to pay NYC employees $176K over sick leave violations

The coffee chain also agreed to provide informational posters about its sick leave policy inside all city stores, provide plain language information on its policy and follow up with the city in six months.  

By Julie Littman • Dec. 20, 2019

McDonald's lands major labor win in 2-1 ruling

The National Labor Relations Board absolved McDonald's as a joint employer from responsibility for labor violations brought forward in 2012 by Fight for $15 and other labor groups. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • Dec. 12, 2019

Flynn Restaurant Group adopts instant pay across its 1,200 restaurants

The franchise operator has expanded its partnership with DailyPay to improve employee turnover. 

By Lauren Manning • Dec. 5, 2019

Chipotle agrees to $95K payout in sexual harassment suit

A former employee claims he was locked in a walk-in freezer for reporting a sexual harassment incident, adding to a slew of sexual harassment lawsuits hitting the QSR space. 

By Alicia Kelso • Dec. 4, 2019

On the Border settles race claim for $100K and a letter from its chief people officer

EEOC alleged the employer failed to act when employees at the restaurant repeatedly subjected a co-worker to racial slurs.

By Lisa Burden • Dec. 4, 2019

California McDonald's workers win $26M settlement over wage theft

The agreement ends seven years of litigation over pay and hour violations at corporate stores, but this isn't the only class action lawsuit involving the chain.

By Julie Littman • Nov. 25, 2019

ADA lawsuits target physical gift cards

Starbucks appears to be the only major restaurant retailer that provides gift cards with Braille, according to a growing number of ADA-based lawsuits.

By Lauren Manning • Nov. 22, 2019

Class action suit alleges McDonald's manager groped, shoved employee

At the heart of the allegations is McDonald's status as a franchisor, and the consequences that may hold for workers.

By Ryan Golden • Nov. 15, 2019

Grubhub threatened with legislative action if it doesn't fix phone order issues

In response, the delivery company is creating a third-party task force to address restaurant complaints about unfair charges for diner calls from Grubhub channels.

By Alicia Kelso • Nov. 14, 2019

DoorDash delivery workers earn 12.5% more on average under new pay model

Overall Dasher earnings including tips rose $1.30 in October, the platform's first full month under the payment system, according to a company blog post. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • Nov. 13, 2019

Subway enforcing 20-year lease agreements to stem store closures, NY Post reports

Franchisees told the publication those who don't renew their five-year leases must complete a corporate questionnaire to try and find replacement operators.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Nov. 11, 2019

Buffalo Wild Wings to conduct sensitivity training following alleged racist incident

The company's response appears to borrow from the playbook of employers that have faced similar incidents, like Starbucks.

By Ryan Golden • Nov. 8, 2019

Chipotle expands employee benefits to focus on mental well-being

The chain's employees and family now have access to personalized assistance from healthcare experts and financial counseling even if they're not enrolled in the company's medical plan. 

By Alicia Kelso • Nov. 6, 2019

White Starbucks manager fired after Philly incident alleges race bias

The suit follows one of the most significant case studies of corporate social responsibility and HR management in recent history.

By Ryan Golden • Nov. 5, 2019

Taco Bell franchisee pays $225K for allegedly requesting too much info from green card holders

It's important to remember that employers cannot impose different or more stringent employment requirements on the basis of citizenship status or national origin.

By Jennifer Carsen • Oct. 28, 2019

Predictive scheduling laws — meant to protect workers — appear to be working

Restaurants should take compliance seriously, as treating employees unfairly could turn off diners that are increasingly concerned about workplace culture, according to the Harvard Business Review. 

By Riia O'Donnell , Kate Tornone , Emma Liem Beckett • Oct. 21, 2019

Arkansas Pei Wei ignored complaints of managers' sexual harassment, EEOC alleges

The sexually hostile work environment the managers created forced two workers to quit, the agency alleged in its lawsuit.

By Riia O'Donnell • Oct. 21, 2019

Chipotle dishes up degree program to prepare workers for '21st century' jobs

Unlike its guacamole, the benefit will come at no cost. The restaurant will cover 100% of tuition costs for 75 types of business and technology degrees.

By Valerie Bolden-Barrett , Katie Clarey • Oct. 17, 2019

Domino's franchisee delivers $800K settlement in drivers' underpayment suit

The settlement highlights a number of concerns — including tip credits and uniform deductions — that employers should note.

By Jennifer Carsen • Oct. 15, 2019