Burger King workers in the province of Barcelona just gained a Whopper-sized win.
After the chain prohibited its own employees from having any facial hair, including mustaches, beards, or even kingstaches (like the brand’s trademark,) Catalan authorities ruled that the eatery’s guidelines were in violation of employees’ constitutional rights.
Carles Català of Catalonia’s Workers’ Commissions told the Guardian, “Burger King’s internal rules – which are pretty reasonable – oblige workers to come to work in a well-dressed, decent and hygienic state.”
Seems fair.
His issue? Being asked to shave his beard for “food preparation reasons.”
“I found that very odd. So we put in the hands of the labor inspectors, who have pointed out that there are already measures available,” he told the outlet.
He’s referring to beard nets, which are common in restaurants and follow sanitation protocol.
While this is a triumph for the 1,269 workers in the Barcelona area, employees are hoping to see this ruling become more widespread.
This isn’t the first time Burger King has faced backlash from employees for the policy.
In 2007, a Pennsylvania worker was awarded $15,800 in damages after he was fired from a Brookhaven Burger King for refusing to shave his beard, VICE reported.
The incident also led to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to train the store’s supervisors and managers with special training about employee rights and religious accommodations, as he was Mulism.
Beyond facial hair, the mandatory ties for men and ribbons for women is also being called into question for sexual discrimination.
According to The Guardian, the Workers’ Commissions union said the chain’s restrictions “undermined the dignity of its workers.”
This isn’t the first time Burger King has let people down.
After an Oregon man who got stuck in a Burger King bathroom for an hour, while employees laughed outside the door, for revoking his offer of free food for life.
Wait, what.
According to Willamette Week, after the man’s lawyer revealed Burger King has agreed to settle the lawsuit with his client for $9,026, or the cost of a Whopper meal every week for the next 22 years (he chose the latter,) he may no longer getting those free burgers.
It looks like someone didn’t check with the district manager before their generous offer…but still!
Earlier this year, the company had to sue one of its own Dallas franchisees after a viral video showing a rat video surfaced.
To clarify, the video literally showed rats crawling around the floor, yuck.
While you’d think nothing could beat that, how about accusing a homeless man of using a fake $10 bill?
A Burger King worker accused a man named Emory Ellis, who lived on the streets in Boston, according to The Washington Post, of just that.
The innocent man ended up spending more than three months in jail after being wrongfully accused of trying to pay for his meal with counterfeit dollars.
This is enraging. He was literally discriminated against for being black and homeless, and just trying to buy breakfast.
“I know that had I walked into the Burger King with the exact same $10 bill, nobody would have scrutinized it,” Ellis’s attorney told the paper. “I never would have been accused of anything. I certainly wouldn’t have had the police called on me, no matter what the series of events.”
The cashier refused to return the money and then threatened to call the police if Ellis didn’t leave the restaurant, which led him to be arrested for forgery of a bank note.
After the bill was confirmed to be authentic by the Secret Service, he was released, but his money was never returned.
