MCD McDonalds Corp

By Heather Haddon

McDonald's Corp. workers affiliated with a union-backed campaign in the U.S. are asking for paid sick leave and more resources to keep themselves and stores safe in light of the novel coronavirus epidemic.

Workers and their allies say the world's biggest fast-food chain needs to do more to protect them as they face the possibility of contracting the virus while on the job.

"We can't do our jobs from home and we can't skip work," said Fran Marion, a McDonald's worker in Kansas City and a member of the "Fight for $15 and a Union" group, on Tuesday.

McDonald's said its company-owned restaurants in the U.S. and many of its franchisees offer paid time off of up to five days per year. The company has said that it will pay employees at its company-owned stores in the U.S. for two weeks if they are asked to quarantine.

"As we proactively monitor the impact of the coronavirus, we are continuously evaluating our policies to provide flexibility and reasonable accommodations," a spokeswoman said.

Write to Heather Haddon at heather.haddon@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 10, 2020 16:59 ET (20:59 GMT)

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