The Adelaide McDonald’s restaurant faces a SafeWork SA investigation due to worker testimonies about denied shift rights such as basic hydration and restroom use together with medicine access.
The discovery brought forward by the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association (SDA) union representatives during their December 4 visit to the store. Workers stated that their repeated attempts to obtain breaks resulted in abusive management behavior that classified breaks as “annoying” before issuing no-break instructions until market demand subsided.
SafeWork SA received a report documenting heat stress caused to workers who toiled under subpar air conditioning service in both the kitchen and drive-thru zones. An employee lost permission to use their necessary medication and three others showed symptoms linked to heat stress.
The SDA declared that labor-intensive heat conditions required increased hydration consumption so workers needed to suspend their water requests until procedures slowed down.
McDonald’s Australia responded to complaints by stating through a statement its dedication to creating safe workplaces that are respectful and by confirming its crew members maintain access to water and restroom amenities in all shifts. McDonald’s runs an active review process while investigation activity continues.
The ongoing case reveals employee protection concerns because workers need adequate workplace safety conditions in extreme weather conditions.
