Immigration is currently a very hot topic in the United States of America, with citizens and politicians on both sides of the aisle arguing fiercely about how such individuals should be treated. Some say that we should welcome immigrants with open arms, while others claim that immigrants cannot be trusted, and we should work harder to close our borders. Regardless of your beliefs on the matter, the important thing is that the law is obeyed when it comes to dealing with immigrants.
McDonald’s was recently the subject of a lawsuit regarding mistreatment and discrimination of immigrant employees, according to a recent report. The report claims that McDonald’s has been engaging in an illegal practice for quite some time: requiring permanent resident immigrants to produce their new resident cards upon the expiration of their previous resident cards. This requirement was not extended to U.S. citizens, and some immigrants were prevented from working if they were unable to present new resident cards.
As a result of the lawsuit, McDonald’s must pay more than $350,000 in civil penalties, pay additional restitutions to certain permanent residents and provide anti-discrimination training to employees. The company will be monitored for nearly two years to ensure that the training and back wages are provided.
There are many McDonald’s chains here in California, and the law applies to each and every one of them. Of course, McDonald’s is not the only company that could be penalized for discriminating against immigrants. Such discrimination is illegal both in federal law and state law, and employees who feel that they are being discriminated against are encouraged to enlist the aid of an attorney to learn more about their legal options.
Source: Color Lines, “McDonald’s Must Pay $355,000 for Discriminating Against Immigrants,” Kenrya Rankin, Nov. 23, 2015