Olive Garden's parent company will now pay sick leave to hourly employees in a watershed moment for the restaurant industry
Hayley Peterson
Mar 10, 2020, 9:26 AM
Olive Garden employees now have access to paid sick leave. AP
Olive Garden parent company Darden Restaurants is giving all hourly employees paid sick leave, effective immediately, amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The policy change could pressure other companies to follow suit. More than four in 10 service industry workers have no access to paid sick leave, according to Labor Department data.
Little or no access to paid sick leave can result in some employees reporting to work while ill.
Darden Restaurants announced late Monday that it will give all its hourly employees paid sick leave benefits, effective immediately, amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Darden owns Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Eddie V's, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, Seasons 52, and Bahama Breeze.
Previously, hourly employees of these restaurants were not paid for any work hours they missed due to illness.
Under the new policy, paid sick leave will accrue at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked, the company said.
Current employees have been granted a "starting balance" of paid sick leave based on their most recent 26 weeks of work and "can use this benefit immediately," a spokesperson said.
The company said it has considered adding paid sick leave for a long time, and "now is the right time to do it."
"We are fortunate to have outstanding team members working in our restaurants committed to bringing our brands to life and creating lasting memories for our guests," Darden CEO Gene Lee said in a statement. "As we continue to make investments in our employees, we strengthen our greatest competitive edge — because when our team members win, our guests win."
Darden's new policy could pressure others to follow suit
The new policy makes Darden one of the first major companies in the US to change its paid sick leave policies in response to the coronavirus outbreak. It could mark a watershed moment for the restaurant industry if other companies follow its lead.
About one quarter of US workers have no access to paid sick leave, according to Labor Department data. In the service industry, which includes restaurant workers, the share of workers without access to paid sick leave jumps to 42%.
Little or no access to paid sick leave can result in some employees reporting to work while ill, which could be dangerous as the US seeks to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Some members of Congress are now proposing a new measure that would give workers 14 days of paid sick leave during a public health crisis.
"Right now, the experts are telling people: Stay home if you're sick," Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington, told the New York Times this week. Many workers aren't paid if they follow that advice, and "that's why paid sick days are such a critical part of this response," she said.
McDonald's restaurant workers push for paid sick leave and updated safety policies as coronavirus spreads across the US
Bethany Biron
Mar 10, 2020, 12:03 PM
McDonald's restaurant workers are urging company leaders to establish paid sick leave policies and enforce standardized health and safety policies amid the rapid spread of the coronavirus in the US.
In a call on Tuesday, employees and members of the advocacy group Fight for $15 shared a list of demands that, in addition to paid sick leave, also includes proper sanitation training and paid time off in the event of store closures.
"For those of us working in fast food, we're living paycheck to paycheck with no paid sick days. We can't do our job from home and we can't skip work," Fran Marion, a McDonald's worker in Kansas City, Missouri, said on the call.
"As we proactively monitor the impact of the coronavirus, we are continuously evaluating our policies to provide flexibility and reasonable accommodations," a McDonald's spokesperson said in a statement to Business Insider.
McDonald's restaurant workers are demanding paid sick leave and updated safety protocols to protect against the rapidly spreading coronavirus.
In a call held by Fight For $15 — an organization that advocates on behalf of low-wage employees across a variety of industries, including fast food — McDonald's workers urged company leaders to take action to properly protect restaurant staff. In its demands, the group asked for paid sick leave for the duration of the recommended quarantine period, paid time off for missed shifts in the case of possible restaurant closures, updated and improved protections for employees on the job, and standardized training for coronavirus prevention.
The requests come after McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski announced Friday that the company would cancel its Worldwide Convention in Orlando for directors and franchisees, opting instead to hold the forum online due to the coronavirus outbreak.
"This decision was not made lightly," Kempczinski said in a video statement. "I, for one, was really looking forward to my first convention as CEO and I appreciate the significance of this announcement for the system. We're not alone, companies and countries alike are reassessing large gatherings."
The demands also follow Monday's monumental announcement by Darden Restaurants to provide all hourly employees paid sick leave benefits for the first time, effective immediately. The effort positioned Darden — owner of Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, and Capital Grille, among others — as one of the first major US companies to shift worker policies and protections in response to the coronavirus.
"As we proactively monitor the impact of the coronavirus, we are continuously evaluating our policies to provide flexibility and reasonable accommodations," a McDonald's spokesperson said in a statement to Business Insider. "Our people are the heart and soul of the McDonald's family and, of course, we will support them through this unique circumstance."
How a lack of sick leave benefits hurts McDonald's workers
While Kempczinski said on Friday that the company is "taking measures" to protect employees and customers and has provided "tools and resources" for restaurant hygiene and cleanliness, McDonald's employees on Tuesday's call said they have received little information regarding how to stay safe.
Restaurant employees have simply been instructed to place hand sanitizer next to registers and take extra care to wipe down touch screens and bathrooms, they said.
"The company canceled a meeting of executives and franchisees, but it's not making any plans for us front-line workers, who cannot afford to take a day off without pay if we get sick," Fran Marion, a McDonald's worker in Kansas City, Missouri, said on the call. "For those of us working in fast food, we're living paycheck to paycheck with no paid sick days. We can't do our job from home and we can't skip work."
While policies differ by state, as well as across franchisee-owned and corporate-owned restaurants, a McDonald's spokesperson said it's the company's "expectation that crewmembers stay home when they are sick." Additionally, McDonald's has decided to pay employees of corporate-owned establishments if they are required to complete a 14-day quarantine.
"We have implemented enhancements to bolster our standards, including: increasing the stock of sanitizing hand gel dispensers in the entrances and lobbies of our restaurants for customer use; increasing the cadence of sanitization of all surfaces and engagement kiosks, and disinfecting trays, dining tables and chairs after each use and reminding crew to always stay home when sick," the spokesperson said.
Still, this leaves workers of franchisee-owned restaurants at risk. Maurilia Arellanes, a McDonald's worker from San Jose, California, who has worked for the company for several years, said she has already struggled without sick pay, citing an incident last year in which she had her hours slashed after returning to work after recovering from the flu.
"I was so sick and I could barely get out of bed," Arellanes said on the call via a translator. "When I came back I found out that I had lost many of the hours that I had worked. I went from working 35 hours a week to 27 hours. I have struggled to make my rent of $750 a month in a small room in a family home and have had to cut back on the money I can send back to my mother in Mexico."
McDonald's could join Darden in setting the standard
Marion and Arellanes were joined by Judy Conti, government affairs director of the National Employment Law Project, who spoke about the larger impacts of a large corporation like McDonald's — which has 14,000 locations in the US alone — taking action. In the US, 42% of service workers lack sick leave benefits, according to the Department of Labor.
"This epidemic is making painfully clear what we actually already knew — that our shoddy collection of workers' rights in this country leaves us ill-prepared to handle this moment," Conti said. "Quite frankly, it leaves us ill-prepared to handle the flu, it makes us ill-prepared to handle a regular winter."
Conti added that the US is one of few industrialized nations that does not have a standardized national policy for sick leave, an oversight she called "deplorable."
"Benefits are by and large available to well-paid people who have resources to weather such times, as opposed to low-income workers who missing a day or shift of work can throw their entire month off as far as bills, loans, housing," she said. "It's unconscionable."
Olive Garden parent company Darden Restaurants is giving all hourly employees paid sick leave, effective immediately, amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The policy change could pressure other companies to follow suit. More than four in 10 service industry workers have no access to paid sick leave, according to Labor Department data.
Little or no access to paid sick leave can result in some employees reporting to work while ill.
Darden Restaurants announced late Monday that it will give all its hourly employees paid sick leave benefits, effective immediately, amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Darden owns Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Eddie V's, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, Seasons 52, and Bahama Breeze.
Previously, hourly employees of these restaurants were not paid for any work hours they missed due to illness.
Under the new policy, paid sick leave will accrue at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked, the company said.
Current employees have been granted a "starting balance" of paid sick leave based on their most recent 26 weeks of work and "can use this benefit immediately," a spokesperson said.
The company said it has considered adding paid sick leave for a long time, and "now is the right time to do it."
"We are fortunate to have outstanding team members working in our restaurants committed to bringing our brands to life and creating lasting memories for our guests," Darden CEO Gene Lee said in a statement. "As we continue to make investments in our employees, we strengthen our greatest competitive edge — because when our team members win, our guests win."
Darden's new policy could pressure others to follow suit
The new policy makes Darden one of the first major companies in the US to change its paid sick leave policies in response to the coronavirus outbreak. It could mark a watershed moment for the restaurant industry if other companies follow its lead.
About one quarter of US workers have no access to paid sick leave, according to Labor Department data. In the service industry, which includes restaurant workers, the share of workers without access to paid sick leave jumps to 42%.
Little or no access to paid sick leave can result in some employees reporting to work while ill, which could be dangerous as the US seeks to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Some members of Congress are now proposing a new measure that would give workers 14 days of paid sick leave during a public health crisis.
"Right now, the experts are telling people: Stay home if you're sick," Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington, told the New York Times this week. Many workers aren't paid if they follow that advice, and "that's why paid sick days are such a critical part of this response," she said.
McDonald's restaurant workers push for paid sick leave and updated safety policies as coronavirus spreads across the US
Bethany Biron
Mar 10, 2020, 12:03 PM
McDonald's restaurant workers are urging company leaders to establish paid sick leave policies and enforce standardized health and safety policies amid the rapid spread of the coronavirus in the US.
In a call on Tuesday, employees and members of the advocacy group Fight for $15 shared a list of demands that, in addition to paid sick leave, also includes proper sanitation training and paid time off in the event of store closures.
"For those of us working in fast food, we're living paycheck to paycheck with no paid sick days. We can't do our job from home and we can't skip work," Fran Marion, a McDonald's worker in Kansas City, Missouri, said on the call.
"As we proactively monitor the impact of the coronavirus, we are continuously evaluating our policies to provide flexibility and reasonable accommodations," a McDonald's spokesperson said in a statement to Business Insider.
McDonald's restaurant workers are demanding paid sick leave and updated safety protocols to protect against the rapidly spreading coronavirus.
In a call held by Fight For $15 — an organization that advocates on behalf of low-wage employees across a variety of industries, including fast food — McDonald's workers urged company leaders to take action to properly protect restaurant staff. In its demands, the group asked for paid sick leave for the duration of the recommended quarantine period, paid time off for missed shifts in the case of possible restaurant closures, updated and improved protections for employees on the job, and standardized training for coronavirus prevention.
The requests come after McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski announced Friday that the company would cancel its Worldwide Convention in Orlando for directors and franchisees, opting instead to hold the forum online due to the coronavirus outbreak.
"This decision was not made lightly," Kempczinski said in a video statement. "I, for one, was really looking forward to my first convention as CEO and I appreciate the significance of this announcement for the system. We're not alone, companies and countries alike are reassessing large gatherings."
The demands also follow Monday's monumental announcement by Darden Restaurants to provide all hourly employees paid sick leave benefits for the first time, effective immediately. The effort positioned Darden — owner of Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, and Capital Grille, among others — as one of the first major US companies to shift worker policies and protections in response to the coronavirus.
"As we proactively monitor the impact of the coronavirus, we are continuously evaluating our policies to provide flexibility and reasonable accommodations," a McDonald's spokesperson said in a statement to Business Insider. "Our people are the heart and soul of the McDonald's family and, of course, we will support them through this unique circumstance."
How a lack of sick leave benefits hurts McDonald's workers
While Kempczinski said on Friday that the company is "taking measures" to protect employees and customers and has provided "tools and resources" for restaurant hygiene and cleanliness, McDonald's employees on Tuesday's call said they have received little information regarding how to stay safe.
Restaurant employees have simply been instructed to place hand sanitizer next to registers and take extra care to wipe down touch screens and bathrooms, they said.
"The company canceled a meeting of executives and franchisees, but it's not making any plans for us front-line workers, who cannot afford to take a day off without pay if we get sick," Fran Marion, a McDonald's worker in Kansas City, Missouri, said on the call. "For those of us working in fast food, we're living paycheck to paycheck with no paid sick days. We can't do our job from home and we can't skip work."
While policies differ by state, as well as across franchisee-owned and corporate-owned restaurants, a McDonald's spokesperson said it's the company's "expectation that crewmembers stay home when they are sick." Additionally, McDonald's has decided to pay employees of corporate-owned establishments if they are required to complete a 14-day quarantine.
"We have implemented enhancements to bolster our standards, including: increasing the stock of sanitizing hand gel dispensers in the entrances and lobbies of our restaurants for customer use; increasing the cadence of sanitization of all surfaces and engagement kiosks, and disinfecting trays, dining tables and chairs after each use and reminding crew to always stay home when sick," the spokesperson said.
Still, this leaves workers of franchisee-owned restaurants at risk. Maurilia Arellanes, a McDonald's worker from San Jose, California, who has worked for the company for several years, said she has already struggled without sick pay, citing an incident last year in which she had her hours slashed after returning to work after recovering from the flu.
"I was so sick and I could barely get out of bed," Arellanes said on the call via a translator. "When I came back I found out that I had lost many of the hours that I had worked. I went from working 35 hours a week to 27 hours. I have struggled to make my rent of $750 a month in a small room in a family home and have had to cut back on the money I can send back to my mother in Mexico."
McDonald's could join Darden in setting the standard
Marion and Arellanes were joined by Judy Conti, government affairs director of the National Employment Law Project, who spoke about the larger impacts of a large corporation like McDonald's — which has 14,000 locations in the US alone — taking action. In the US, 42% of service workers lack sick leave benefits, according to the Department of Labor.
"This epidemic is making painfully clear what we actually already knew — that our shoddy collection of workers' rights in this country leaves us ill-prepared to handle this moment," Conti said. "Quite frankly, it leaves us ill-prepared to handle the flu, it makes us ill-prepared to handle a regular winter."
Conti added that the US is one of few industrialized nations that does not have a standardized national policy for sick leave, an oversight she called "deplorable."
"Benefits are by and large available to well-paid people who have resources to weather such times, as opposed to low-income workers who missing a day or shift of work can throw their entire month off as far as bills, loans, housing," she said. "It's unconscionable."
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