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McDonald’s Ordered To Pay Obese Employee $17.5k For Weight Gain
Updated: Friday, 29 Oct 2010, 9:01 AM EDT
Published : Friday, 29 Oct 2010, 9:00 AM EDT
By NewsCore (myfoxdc.com)
A former McDonald’s employee was celebrating Friday after a Brazilian court awarded him $17,500 for weight he gained during his 12-year stint with the company, local media reported.
The 32-year-old man, who was not named, said he weighed between 154 pounds (70 kilograms) to 165 pounds when he started working for the burger giant in 1996 but gained 65 pounds because of the free lunches given to employees.
In the lawsuit, the man said he suffered from high cholesterol and muscle weakness because he was forced to eat food that was full of fat, sugar and salt. He also claimed to have been subjected to long working hours and psychological pressures.
The ruling was signed Tuesday by Judge Joao Ghisleni Filho in Porto Alegre, Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo reported.
The judge said that while genetic factors and a sedentary lifestyle possibly contributed to the franchise manager’s weight gain, this did not absolve the responsibility of the employer.
McDonald’s was also ordered to pay 80 percent of the man’s medical costs for “full restoration of the health conditions of the claimant.”
In a statement, McDonald’s said it was considering appealing the case, arguing that it provided choice and variety to cater the preferences of each individual. It added, “item quality is one of the most recognized by customers, experts and the wider market.”
Read more: http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/cotidiano/821432-justica-do-rs-condena-mcdonalds-a-indenizar-ex-gerente-que-engordou-30-kg.shtml<
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