A former McDonald's owner in Wisconsin will pay $1 million to almost a dozen former employees to end a federal sexual harassment lawsuit.
The settlement was agreed upon by Missoula Mac, owner of 25 McDonald's within Wisconsin.
Missoula Mac along with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission decided on a settlement which mandates that workers are taught how to handle situations of sexual harassment, that the McDonald's create a new position for dealing with sexual harassment complaints and that it creates a sexual harassment hotline for employees. It also requires that the franchise teach managers and workers of their rights on working at the establishment.
"Missoula Mac has concluded that the most prudent course of action is to settle this case rather than spending the time and financial resources necessary to continue to litigate the matter in court," the company wrote in a statement.
Officials of Missoula Mac said that the company doesn't doubt that "improper workplace conduct" happened, but was skeptical about the degree to which it occurred. The statement claims that the company has tried to promote the reporting of sexual harassment amongst its employees.
"Women who work in restaurants have it tough enough without having to put up with sexual harassment," EEOC attorney John Hendrickson said in a statement released Wednesday.
According to the lawsuit, the level of harassment that occurred within the restaurant included kissing, sexual comments, touching women's' private areas and forcing them to touch men's private parts.
The settlement forces Missoula Mac to pay $1 million to ten former female workers for facing sexual harassment while on the job.
