Categories: Fast Food

Taco Bell’s New Employee Rule Is Making Us Wonder If It’s Even Legal

Employees everywhere see their break time as a sacred thing. You can grab coffee, respond to texts, or just go for a quick walk to blow off steam. But Taco Bell just banned their California employees from leaving the restaurant during lunch breaks — and this is totally legal.

This new rule, which was okayed by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, outlines that if employees are to use their employee discount to buy a Taco Bell meal during their lunch break, they must remain in the building to eat it.

However, if an employee brings their own lunch or buys Taco Bell at full price (without their discount), they’re allowed to leave.

According to Inc.com, Taco Bell instated this rule to make sure employees weren’t using their discount to feed family members and friends during their lunch break. Okay, fair enough. But employees argued that if they were forced to remain in the restaurant in order to use their discount, then they should receive wages because they’re not actually on break.

Yet, because the chain does allow employees to leave under certain circumstances, the 9th Circuit Court sided with the fast food chain. No wages will be given to those who stay in for lunch.

According to Food & Wine, Taco Bell was just recently taken to court over another lunch break complaint in 2016. That case resulted in California Taco Bell employees receiving over $500,000 after the company incorrectly followed state laws “dictating the terms of payment for meal breaks.”

Taco Bell bans some employees from leaving during lunch breaks: https://t.co/x9rVvlmXfY pic.twitter.com/DtQ3m4nzzT
— Food & Wine (@foodandwine) July 27, 2018

The rules of employee breaks are somewhat blurred and vary from state to state, as Inc.com states. Although Taco Bell isn’t technically violating any rules or regulations, this new stipulation is definitely leaving some with a bad taste in their mouth.