Labor and Policy: Page 28
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New York City Council passes 10% COVID-19 surcharge
The ordinance, which awaits Mayor Bill de Blasio's signature, is expected to help restaurants recover from lost sales during the pandemic and could cover costs associated with outdoor dining and personal protective equipment.
By Alicia Kelso • Sept. 17, 2020 -
Taco Bell announces 'womxn-focused' employee resource group
Some employers have prioritized employee resource groups as a way to support diversity and inclusion work in recent months.
By Ryan Golden • Sept. 17, 2020 -
Biden doubles down on $15 minimum wage, end to tip credit
The Democratic presidential candidate also said he opposes the subminimum wage for workers with disabilities.
By Aman Kidwai • Sept. 16, 2020 -
Nearly 1 in 6 restaurants have closed, says NRA
Without more financial support from the federal government, the association says the industry is on track to lose $240 billion by the end of 2020.
By Julie Littman • Sept. 14, 2020 -
California Restaurant Association says the state's small business support isn't enough
CRA President and CEO Jot Condie criticized the bills signed into law last week, saying they failed to target aid directly for restaurants in the state.
By Emma Liem Beckett • Updated Sept. 14, 2020 -
Dining out increases COVID-19 risk more than other activities, CDC report finds
Adults who have tested positive for COVID-19 were nearly twice as likely to have reported dining at a restaurant in the past two weeks than those who tested negative, according to the agency.
By Alicia Kelso • Sept. 11, 2020 -
NYC to allow 25% indoor dining capacity as bar compliance improves
While compliance currently sits at 99.2%, the city will provide 400 inspectors to ensure restaurants continue following safety protocols.
By Julie Littman • Sept. 10, 2020 -
Pennsylvania restaurants can double dining capacity with online certification
Gov. Tom Wolf will allow restaurants — except those in Philadelphia — to operate at 50% beginning Sept. 21 if they pledge to follow safety guidelines.
By Alicia Kelso • Sept. 9, 2020 -
Hurricane Isaias' impact on restaurant sales hint at what to expect this winter
During the storm, which hit the East Coast during the first week of August, regional restaurant sales dropped by 11%. Connecticut, New Jersey and New York were the most impacted states.
By Alicia Kelso • Sept. 4, 2020 -
Restaurant owners growing restless with disparate state opening plans
California and New Jersey just released new reopening plans, while New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio promises to have an answer within the next few weeks.
By Alicia Kelso • Sept. 3, 2020 -
27 Black former franchisees join racial discrimination case against McDonald's
The amended complaint now contains 77 named plaintiffs and includes nearly 300 stores with compensatory damages averaging between $4 million to $5 million per location.
By Emma Liem Beckett • Updated Nov. 18, 2020 -
New York, Los Angeles extend delivery commission fee caps
With the pandemic complicating reopening plans, these two cities are lengthening their timelines until restaurants are able to operate at 100% dine-in capacity, plus an additional 90 days.
By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 31, 2020 -
Chicago outdoor dining challenge to help restaurants survive winter
The city is crowdsourcing design ideas for outdoor seating to help restaurants as winter approaches and the pandemic stretches on.
By Katie Pyzyk • Aug. 31, 2020 -
Deep Dive
Sex, lies and the C-suite: How McDonald's clawback battle highlights need for strong misconduct policies
Corporate ethics experts feel the chain isn’t doing enough to establish a zero-tolerance policy following news of ex-CEO Steve Easterbrook's inappropriate relationships with female employees.
By Emma Liem Beckett • Aug. 26, 2020 -
Judge OKs lawsuit by businesses seeking COVID-19-related insurance claims
In a first, restaurants and other businesses hit by pandemic shutdowns can move forward on legal efforts to get insurers to pay on business interruption policies.
By Robert Freedman • Aug. 25, 2020 -
Gov. Cuomo mulls ending outdoor dining as NYC restaurants' frustrations grow
Operators have also threatened legal action if plans for a phased return to indoor dining are not made.
By Rosie Bradbury • Aug. 21, 2020 -
Chipotle managers refused nursing mom pumping breaks, class-action suit alleges
The plaintiff alleged the managers told her she "should have managed her time better before coming into work," in refusing her break time on one occasion.
By Lisa Burden • Aug. 20, 2020 -
Easterbrook fights to keep McDonald's severance, claims company knew of inappropriate behavior
The former CEO's attorney argues that because McDonald's had possession of his emails in October, the restaurant doesn't have grounds to accuse Easterbrook of breaking his deal with the company.
By Emma Liem Beckett • Aug. 17, 2020 -
Potbelly reverses course and snags $10M in last-minute PPP funding
Despite its decision to return a Paycheck Protection Program loan in April, the sandwich chain has now opted for a small business loan at the risk of attracting renewed criticism.
By Rosie Bradbury • Updated Aug. 17, 2020 -
Lyft, Uber ordered to reclassify California drivers, putting all eyes on Prop 22
The ruling puts added pressure on a state ballot measure that would classify app-based drivers as independent contractors.
By Kate Tornone • Updated Oct. 23, 2020 -
Florida restaurant workers can get back to work sooner after COVID-19 infections
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order last week stating that restaurant employees no longer need to prove two negative COVID-19 tests before returning to work.
By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 10, 2020 -
64% of diners say staff wearing PPE is most important when eating out, survey shows
Consumers say restaurant staff taking safety precautions is a higher priority to them than efforts to add hand sanitizer and single-use menus at tables, according to a Toast report.
By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 7, 2020 -
Seattle study finds race discrimination in restaurant hiring
Restaurant Opportunities Centers United and the Seattle Office for Civil Rights found that people of color are more likely to have low-wage, back-of-house jobs.
By Sheryl Estrada • Aug. 6, 2020 -
83% of New York City restaurant owners couldn't pay full rent in July, report shows
The NYC Hospitality Alliance survey also found that 71% of landlords would not waive portions of rent because of COVID-19.
By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 5, 2020 -
45% of consumers less likely to order from Starbucks because of initial BLM policy, study finds
Nearly 21% of consumers said they will actively try to avoid buying from brands that restrict employees from expressing support for the movement, and 51% said they are less likely to buy from these companies, according to DealAid data.
By Emma Liem Beckett • Aug. 5, 2020