Is Chipotle ethical?

What Choice found

Choice can get this wrong — tell us if something's off.

1–10 of 27

Workplace equity Settlement Against

Chipotle settles sexual harassment claims at Sammamish store

Chipotle settles allegations that it allowed a male service manager and male crew member to sexually harass young female employees at its Sammamish store.

6 sourcesRead sources
eeoc.gov
— Chipotle has agreed to pay $400,000 to three former crew members at its Sammamish, Washington, restaurant location, and will provide other relief to resolve a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.
Under the three-year consent decree settling the suit, Chipotle will pay $400,000 to the three former employees and will appoint an internal consent decree coordinator to review, revise and implement anti-discriminatory policies and procedures that prohibit sexual harassment and retaliation.
eeoc.gov
The decree also requires Chipotle to develop and implement additional policies, procedures, and trainings at 27 restaurants in the South Bay area to ensure harassment-free workplaces, and to enhance accountability and oversight of managers, supervisors and employees.
and its subsidiary Chipotle Services, LLC will pay $95,000 and make substantial changes to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.
eeoc.gov
“In the past five years alone, this is at least the fourth sexual harassment lawsuit EEOC has filed against a Chipotle facility.
eeoc.gov
After the teen reported the incident, Chipotle again failed to take prompt corrective action, and she was forced to submit her two weeks’ notice.
eeoc.gov
According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, Chipotle cultivated a toxic work environment when it allowed a male service manager and a male crew member to sexually harass several young female employees at its Sammamish store.
sec.gov
21 https://www.nlrb.gov/news-outreach/region-01-boston/nlrb-region-1-boston-obtains-settlement-with-chipotle-with-240000-in#:~:text=
Most recently, in 2022, the EEOC filed a lawsuit alleging that Chipotle violated federal law by subjecting a female employee to sexual harassment.
·Chipotle agreed to pay nearly $8 million in 2016 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit involving a former 16-year-old female employee34 and has faced multiple sexual harassment lawsuits from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) over the past five years.

Corporate conduct Confirmed Against

Chipotle bundles service fee with tax to hide cost

Chipotle bundled a service fee with tax, according to a suit.

1 sourceRead sources
law360.com
Chipotle Bundled 'Service Fee' With Tax To Hide It, Suit Says - Law360

Workplace equity Settlement Against

Chipotle settles religious harassment lawsuit

Chipotle announced a $20,000 settlement to resolve an EEOC religious harassment, retaliation, and constructive discharge claim.

3 sourcesRead sources
calcivilrights.ca.gov
“Californians of all faiths are entitled to reasonable accommodations for religious practices that do not impose an undue hardship on the employer.” T o settle the case, Chipotle agreed to pay $20,000, provide religious discrimination prevention training to human resources staff, and to develop a policy for all California locations regarding religious practices that require accommodations in the workplace.
eeoc.gov
The EEOC’s lawsuit further charged that Chipotle then refused to schedule the teen for the duration of her notice period in retaliation for her complaint.
The EEOC suit alleged that in July 2021, at a Lenexa, Kansas, Chipotle restaurant, a supervisor began harassing one of his employees because of her religion.
– National restaurant chain Chipotle Services, Inc. will pay $20,000 and furnish other relief to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) religious harassment, retaliation, and constructive discharge lawsuit, the federal agency announced today.
Chipotle to Pay $20,000 in EEOC Religious Harassment Lawsuit
The decree also requires Chipotle to regularly train supervisory personnel regarding Title VII and religious discrimination.
In addition to the $20,000 in monetary relief, the three-year decree settling the suit requires Chipotle to provide training to line employees in the Lenexa, Kansas, area three times a year on harassment and religious discrimination.
eeoc.gov
ST. LOUIS – National restaurant chain Chipotle violated federal law when a manager at the company’s Lenexa, Kansas location harassed a teen worker for wearing a hijab and when the company retaliated against her after she complained, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed yesterday.

Corporate conduct Confirmed Against

Chipotle illegally required employee waivers

Chipotle illegally required employees in all New York City restaurants to sign waivers giving up their right to premium pay for last-minute schedule changes.

1 sourceRead sources
nyc.gov
To avoid the Fair Workweek Law’s premium pay requirement, Chipotle illegally required employees in all New York City restaurants to sign “waivers” of their right to premium pay for these last-minute schedule changes.

Labor & working conditions Ruling Against

Chipotle Mexican Grill was accused of illegally denying raises to unionized workers in Lansing, Michigan

A union's claims that Chipotle Mexican Grill violated federal labor law by withholding raises from workers who unionized have merit, U.S. labor board prosecutors have determined.

1 sourceRead sources
cbsnews.com
A union's claims that Chipotle Mexican Grill violated federal labor law by withholding raises from workers who unionized have merit, U.S. labor board prosecutors have determined.

Corporate conduct Allegation Against

Chipotle is accused of trying to cover up Norovirus outbreak

Chipotle is accused of trying to cover up a Norovirus outbreak in SoCal.

1 sourceRead sources
nbclosangeles.com
Lawsuit Claims SoCal Chipotle Tried to Cover Up Norovirus Outbreak – NBC Los Angeles
Lawsuit Claims SoCal Chipotle Tried to Cover Up Norovirus Outbreak

Corporate conduct Confirmed Against

Chipotle fails food safety protocols

Chipotle failed to ensure employees understood and complied with food safety protocols, leading to hundreds of customers getting sick.

1 sourceRead sources
finance.yahoo.com
"Chipotle failed to ensure that its employees both understood and complied with its food safety protocols, resulting in hundreds of customers across the country getting sick," U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna said in a statement.

Labor & working conditions Settlement Against

Chipotle agreed to pay $8 million to settle allegations of child labor law violations in New Jersey

·In 2022, Chipotle agreed to pay almost $8 million to settle allegations of child labor law violations in New Jersey after a State Labor Department audit found approximately 30,660 alleged violations related to minors working at Chipotle stores across the state.29.

2 sourcesRead sources
businessinsider.com
Schwalb's office began the investigation in May 2022 after seeing reports alleging Chipotle violated child labor laws in other jurisdictions, according to the release.
Chipotle Pays $322K to Settle Child Labor Allegations - Business Insider
sec.gov
21 https://www.nlrb.gov/news-outreach/region-01-boston/nlrb-region-1-boston-obtains-settlement-with-chipotle-with-240000-in#:~:text=
·In 2022, Chipotle agreed to pay almost $8 million to settle allegations of child labor law violations in New Jersey after a State Labor Department audit found approximately 30,660 alleged violations related to minors working at Chipotle stores across the state.29

Corporate conduct Recall Against

Chipotle removed jalapeños from some restaurants following a salmonella outbreak investigation

In a brief statement, Chipotle maintained that the “health and safety of our guests and employees is our highest priority” and that it had pulled the jalapeños out of an abundance of caution and “replaced them with product from different growers” in all locations where a previous common lot had been distributed.

3 sourcesRead sources
cnn.com
In a brief statement, Chipotle maintained that the “health and safety of our guests and employees is our highest priority” and that it had pulled the jalapeños out of an abundance of caution and “replaced them with product from different growers” in all locations where a previous common lot had been distributed.
latimes.com
In a brief statement, Chipotle maintained that the “health and safety of our guests and employees is our highest priority” — and that it had pulled the jalapeños out of an abundance of caution and “replaced them with product from different growers” in all locations where a previous common lot had been distributed.
latimes.com
But it was Chipotle that narrowed it down to the jalapeños first — days before authorities announced nationwide recalls last week.

Labor & working conditions Settlement Against

An investigation in Washington, D.C. found over 800 potential violations of child labor laws

Chipotle Mexican Grill has agreed to a six-figure settlement after an investigation in the nation's capital "identified over 800 potential violations of Washington, D.C.'s child labor laws over the past three years," D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb announced on Monday.

1 sourceRead sources
business-humanrights.org
Chipotle Mexican Grill has agreed to a six-figure settlement after an investigation in the nation's capital "identified over 800 potential violations of Washington, D.C.'s child labor laws over the past three years," D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb announced on Monday.