The TLDEF has filed a discrimination complaint against an Orlando, FL McDonalds' restaurant which refused to interview a transgender job applicant. Here's the story from their website (including a YouTube voicemail message received by the applicant):
Of course, McDonalds is a franchise operation. This might be an isolated case (or not).
Interestingly, the McDonalds' corporate website claims that the company has been writing the book on diversity:
McDonald’s has long been known for our commitment to inclusion and diversity, not only with our own employees, but also with our franchisees and suppliers.
...African Americans, Women, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, People with Disabilities, and Gay and Lesbian Employees have been integral to McDonald’s success...
...but not transgender persons? Apparently, the McDonalds organisation has yet to issue a statement on this situation. Will they hang the Florida restaurant management ‘out to dry?’ Or will the situation be subject to McDonalds' publicists' spin?
Public-relations Shambles
Comments
Aren't McDonalds Restaurants Franchised?
That's what I remember. It would make it pretty easy for McDonalds, Inc to separate itself from whatever is going on down there. Still, it will be interesting to see if they take a stand.
Franchise standards
To obtain and retain a franchise, the restaurant owner generally has to agree to adhere to certain corporate standards. These range from building appearance to employment criteria. If they fail or refuse to meet McDonald's standards they can lose their franchise. I've seen both McDonald's and Burger King pull a franchise for failure to adhere to their standards. So if McDonald's issues a requirement that their franchise owners not discriminate against TG/TS people, the franchises have no choice but to follow or lose.
And yes, these standards are so written that McDonald's can revise them and the only recourse the franchise owners have is to try and show the new standards are somehow illegal. McDonald's has a shit-pot load of lawyers to ensure their rules are legal. :-)
KJT
"Being a girl is wonderful and to torture someone into that would be like the exact opposite of what it's like. I don’t know how anyone could act that way." College Girl - poetheather
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.” - Turkish Proverb
Support for McDonald Corporation while angry at franchisee
McDonald's Corp has a mix of both company owned and franchised restaurant locations. I have seen affirmative action at work at several McDonald's including hiring the mentally impaired. As a corporation they are ahead of most in affirmative action in general. So please don't punish the corporation until all the facts are known and they have had a chance to correct the situation.
JM
Jman
I'm not
Just pointing out that McDonald's has mucho weight behind them to take whatever legal actions they want. I've heard that the franchise agreement is a fairly substantial document that takes a savvy lawyer to negotiate. So all McDonald's has to do is say 'This is contrary to our corporate policy' and the franchisee has no choice but to comply.
I read awhile back that a group of franchisees were appealing the new corporate-mandated look that all restaurants are supposed to change to in the next couple of years. Unless they can convince the corporation to grant them a waver (they say it is cost-prohibitive) they have two choices, comply or close.
KJT
"Being a girl is wonderful and to torture someone into that would be like the exact opposite of what it's like. I don’t know how anyone could act that way." College Girl - poetheather
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.” - Turkish Proverb
Oh I agree
This sounds like a disgusting franchise manager who is likely going to find himself fired very shortly, or the franchise will be shut down/taken over by the corporation. Which I saw in Ohio when I was there.
Samirah M. Johnstone
They may have a load of lawyers
But they were beaten by two unemployed students in a libel case - the longest in English legal history - who represented themselves.
Angharad
Angharad
McLibel
Very famous case: http://www.mcspotlight.org/case/
Cheers,
Puddin'
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
There's the difference
. . . the longest in English legal history . . .
English and American civil law may share a common root, but they are not the same.
Also, in many cases (in the U.S.) a company can afford to keep up a legal action far longer than an individual. It becomes a war of attrition, who runs out of money first? A corporation essentially fights a delaying action until the challenger runs out of money and has to give up.
KJT
"Being a girl is wonderful and to torture someone into that would be like the exact opposite of what it's like. I don’t know how anyone could act that way." College Girl - poetheather
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.” - Turkish Proverb
Maybe she should aim higher
Would anyone in their right mind want to work for this outfit? The level of education and people skills amongst the management at individual shop level is not going to be very high, hence the obnoxious message. If she tried somewhere who are managed by humans rather than trolls, she might find a more receptive employer.
Angharad
Angharad
She is 17, looking for
She is 17, looking for afterschool work, most people aren't looking for a career at their high school jobs, just spending money, and probably money for the car insurance.
Kristy
Two things I can think of
Two things I can think of immediately regarding this. a) McDonalds, the corporate entity is going to "play hell" trying to get out from under this because "The badge (identity) belongs to them". In other words, you claim it AND OWN IT, but are allowing others to use it. I wound up going to court many years ago with a major oil company that tried this ploy regarding a francisee of theirs and that was what the court ruled. b) If the coporate offices are "writing the diversity book", just how long does it take them to do so. Seems like they have been doing for a very long time now and it only gets acknowledged when issues like this "rear their heads" and puts McDonalds on the front page in bad light. Jan
It isn't ALL McDonalds Franchises ...
One less than 4 miles from me, at the second closest McD, has a transwoman working for them, not just in back, but out where she interacts with customers, taking orders and bringing them to customers. She passes fairly well, but not perfectly. The one time I was there where a customer started to hassle her, the customer was asked to leave.
She passes better than I do, and before that incident, she brought up the subject with me, asking , "Are you T?" knowing if I was, I'd know what she meant, an d if I wasn't, it would probably go over my head. She is still there, 3 or 4 years later, though she plans to leave when she finishes the first 2 years of college and transfers to UC San Diego.
Holly
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
Holly
this manager...
Is what, 19? However old he is he sounds like he's a few fries short of a Happy Meal. Repulsive in his prejudices, but I can't imagine he speaks for the corporation, or maybe even that particular franchise, but just assumed that they wouldn't hire someone like her who he had such issues with; so much so that he thought nothing could come back to him when he committed himself to leaving an audio record of his slur. A smarter bigot might have said it to her personally, but not in a way that could be proven. McDonalds is gonna pay plenty for his stupidity, and I sure hope he will.
~~~hugs, Laika
On a lighter note, here's Ronald McDonald looking really hot as a chick:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVcRecCk8sw
Well shit, I guess it really CAN happen here..,
.
That ad...
...and its companion, where "Ronald" is a bishÅnen-type, are absolutely hilarious. ^__^ Thanks, Laika!
-Liz
-Liz
Successor to the LToC
Formerly known as "momonoimoto"
BM in Orlando...
BM should stand for Bowel Movement...not Big Mac! The MacDonald's organization in Orlando is known for their lack of tolerance on many levels and in many areas. They have been known to discrimanate against various races of color as well as gays and others. Don't patronize them when in mouse land!!!
Mea the Magnificent
McDonalds update
Well, the restaurant manager has been dismissed, the Orlando restaurant said in a statement:
Reference: Manager Fired After Transgender Discrimination Claim
However, there is no comment as to whether Zikerria Bellamy (the complainant) will be offered a job.
Protagonist Sacked
Bike Resources
Diversity
Sad stuff. Diversity is cool, what if everyone would wear gray, A total eyesore. if someone is cool enough to be the one she is, what's wrong with that?