Just because the restaurant’s motto is “have it your way” doesn’t mean you can treat female employees however you want.
Burger King’s largest franchisee—Carrols Restaurant Group Inc.—agreed to a $2.5 million settlement with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on Tuesday, putting an end to a 14-year sexual harassment case in which Carrols was accused of widespread violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The money will go to 88 former employees and one current employee, the remaining claimants out of 90,000 female employees that the EEOC initially contacted to investigate Carrols’ alleged harassment.
Carrols did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement, and the company’s CEO Daniel Accordino said in a statement: "We unequivocally do not tolerate sexual harassment in our workplace." However, the company did agree to augment its anti-harassment policies and increase training, and will be reporting to the EEOC for two years.
Read more at Thomson Reuters.
For more InsideCounsel coverage of sexual harassment, see below:
EEOC presents advice on harassment by third-parties just in time for the holiday season
No protection from retaliation for internal investigators
Paula Deen says harassment claims are false
Labor: How to avoid defamation and reverse discrimination claims when investigating harassment
