The Taiwan branch of McDonald’s Corp could face a fine of up to NT$150,000 (US$4,790) if it is found to have violated labor practices with a new “drive-thru” program that aims to serve customers in 60 seconds or less, the Taipei City Government’s Department of Labor said yesterday.
The department said in a statement on its Web site that employers have a duty to protect the mental and physical health of their employees and should not cause them anxiety or subject them to unreasonable pressure to make products.
Moreover, the rule that customers who do not receive their meal within one minute in McDonald’s drive-thru program get a free food coupon on their next visit to McDonald’s could lead to disputes between customers and McDonald’s employees, according to the department.
McDonald’s new 60-second program, which began on Monday alst week and runs until July 31, came under fire recently after several of its employees complained about being overloaded at work on Facebook.
The agency said it is to launch an investigation to assess labor practices at McDonald’s, which could face a fine of between NT$30,000 and NT$150,000 if the company is found to have violated the Occupational Safety and Health Act and fails to improve during a given period of time.
According to Article 7 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), employers must adopt the necessary health and safety measures to prevent injuries, such as “musculoskeletal disorders induced by repetitive operations and related work.”
It also stipulates that companies should prevent “wrongful physical or mental harm caused by the actions of others during the execution of duties.”
Later yesterday, McDonald’s said it decided to end its new 60-second drive-thru program ahead of schedule in the wake of complaints from its employees and a pending investigation into its labor practices.
In a note to customers published on its Taiwan Web site, McDonald’s said its 60-second drive-thru program, is to end at 8pm today because the company “takes the feelings of its employees and feedback from customers seriously.”
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