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McDonald's franchise sued for paying via debit card

June 18, 2013

A Pennsylvania woman is suing a McDonald's franchisee for paying her through a debit card in lieu of an actual paycheck. Natalie Gunshannon, a former employee at a McDonald's restaurant in Shavertown, Pa., said she and other employees were paid through a JPMorgan Chase Payroll Card, which requires fees for activity such as ATM withdrawals ($1.50), inactivity after 90 days ($10) and online fee per transaction (75 cents each).

According to ABC News, when these fees added up, it caused some of the hourly employees to receive less than minimum wage.

Gunshannon filed her suit in a court of common pleas and is hoping to have it certified as a class action on behalf of the other employees.

Gunshannon alleges she requested to get wages through direct deposit at her credit union, which she said does not accept payments through the payroll card. She says a manager told her there was no other way to pay her. 

The franchisees, Albert and Carol Mueller, told ABC News they're aware of the matter but haven't seen the complaint yet, so they have refused comment at this time.

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