“To fulfill an order within 30 seconds after receiving it” - unfair dismissal due to the impossible mission - a former employee sued McDonald

Recently Mainichi Shimbun On-line reported the following:

「注文から提供まで30秒以内」達成困難な目標で不当解雇 元社員がマクドナルド提訴

 毎日新聞 2019/12/12 18:46

　日本マクドナルド（東京都）元社員の男性＝名古屋市＝が、成績不振の従業員への業績改善計画で達成困難な目標を課され退職を強要されたなどとして、同社に解雇無効や慰謝料200万円、約2年間の未払い賃金などを求める訴訟を名古屋地裁に起こした。提訴は10月31日付。

　訴状などによると、男性は2016年11月に市内店舗で勤務中、過労による急性心筋梗塞（こうそく）で倒れた。心臓を手術し、医師の意見書に「6カ月は過労を避けて」と記されたが、同社に記載の無い意見書を再提出させられた。復帰後は人手不足で心臓病の薬を満足に服用できず、連日の深夜勤務などもあり17年8月に再入院。再手術したが、翌月には復職を求められた。

　昨年9月には同計画を強要され、注文から提供まで30秒以内など非現実的な目標を課された。その間、勤務中に片耳が聞こえなくなるなどしたという。今年1月、目標未達成を理由に退職同意書への署名を求められた。2月に「大うつ病」と診断されたが、執拗（しつよう）に退職を迫られ、4月末で退職とされたという。

　同計画は主に外資系企業では「PIP（パフォーマンス・インプルーブメント・プラン）」などと呼ばれ、従業員に課題を与えて能力を向上させる制度。達成困難な目標を課して退職勧奨や解雇の理由とするケースもある。12年には東京地裁が、米通信社東京支局の男性記者について、PIPを経た解雇を無効と判断した。

　男性は「自主退職を装うためにPIPを課した。解雇は権利乱用で無効」と主張。「不当に早期復職を強いられ再手術を余儀なくされるなど、多大な精神的苦痛を被った」と訴えている。

　日本マクドナルド広報部は取材に「訴訟に影響するため詳細なコメントは控えるが、引き続き法廷の場で真摯（しんし）に対応する」とコメントした。【川瀬慎一朗】

Translation

A former employee of McDonald's (Tokyo) in Nagoya City who had been forced to resign after being given a hard-to-achieve goal assigned under a performance improvement plan that was designed for poor-performing employees filed to the Nagoya District Court a lawsuit to seek 2 million yen from the company for the dismissal and alimony,  on top of the unpaid wages etc. of about two years. The complaint was dated October 31.

According to the complaints, the man fell down during work in a city store in November 2016 due to acute myocardial infarction as a result of overworking. His heart was operated upon and a doctor's opinion stated that “overwork be avoided for six months”. Yet this opinion was not recorded in the company although it had been submitted. After returning to work, the man was unable to take heart medicines satisfactorily due to tight manpower situation. He was hospitalized again in August 2017 due to continuously working late at night. He was re-operated upon, and was asked to return to work in the following month.

 "In September of last year, the same plan was again enforced upon him, impossible goals such as fulfilling orders within 30 seconds from receiving were imposed on him. Meanwhile, one of his ear was unable to hear during working. In January this year, he was asked to sign a resignation agreement because he could not achieve the goals. He was diagnosed with “major depression” in February,  urged to resign relentlessly and dismissed at the end of April.

A plan like this was commonly called “PIP (Performance Improvement Plan)” by foreign-affiliated companies, it was a system that gave employees tasks to improve their abilities. In some cases, a difficult goal was set for reasons of encouraging resignation or dismissal. In 2012 the Tokyo District Court had ruled that a dismissal, made through a PIP, was invalid towards a male reporter belonging the Tokyo branch of a US news agency.

The man insisted that “a PIP is being imposed to pretend a voluntary resignation; the dismissal is invalid due to abuse of rights ". He said that “a great deal of mental pain was suffered, including being unfairly forced to return to work and re-operated upon."

In response to press inquiries McDonald's Public Relations Department in Japan commented that “we ​​will refrain from making detailed comments because it will affect the lawsuit, but we will continue to respond sincerely in the courtroom.”

          So, McDonald is facing a legal battle initiated by his former employee.