Does Taco Bell owe its Workers a $500,000 Bill?

For a ‘$8 billion in U.S. sales in 2014’, half a million, is quite Meh. But let’s find out why, anyway. 

For nearly a decade Taco Bell workers have been fighting the brand for unpaid lunch hour dues. Employees were only paid for 30 minutes instead of the requisite one hour pay if they skipped their 30-minute meal breaks between 2003 and 2007. The lawsuit, which began then, was led by employees Lisa Hardiman and Sandrika Medlock. It was consolidated with other similar cases in 2009. The February 22 decision handed down by a U.S. district court in Eastern California determined Taco Bell had not followed California law dictating the terms of payment for meal breaks and 10-minute breaks. 

Other similar issues were”unpaid overtime, unpaid minimum wages, unreimbursed business expenses, vested accrued vacation wages and other claims,” according to LawyersandSettlements.com. But no fines were levied for these issues. 

Going forward, fast-food giants will keep their heads in the game about rightful payments to workers is what we’re thinking. What about you?