Burger King Kazakhstan scandal: inspection confirms employee’s claims
Tengrinews.kz – The inspection of the Burger King Kazakhstan fast-food restaurant chain, launched on the basis of a complaint from an employee of the chain, Karatay Alibek, has been completed in Almaty, the press service of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection reported.
An unscheduled inspection was carried out by the Department of the State Labour Inspection Committee. During the inspection activities, the complainant’s claims were confirmed.
It was established that the employer (LLP QSR) had been systematically failing to comply with labour legislation. In particular, cases were recorded of unlawful wage deductions without employees’ consent, systematic delays in salary payments, lack of proper recording of actual working hours, and failure to meet the requirement to pay increased wages for work on public holidays and weekends. In addition, shift schedules were communicated to employees in violation of the deadlines established by law.
Inspectors also found that the company did not provide staff with the necessary workwear and personal protective equipment, and that employees were allowed to perform their duties without undergoing mandatory occupational safety briefings.
Based on the results of the inspection, LLP QSR was issued an order requiring the mandatory elimination of all identified violations.
“Administrative proceedings have been initiated against the legal entity under Articles 87, 93 and 94 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The situation remains under the control of state labour inspectors until full restoration of employees’ labour rights and implementation of the prescribed measures,” the statement says.
The scandal around Burger King Kazakhstan flared up in February after a post on the social network Threads. The author of the post, Zhanat Karatay, spoke about the situation involving the job of her son Alibek, an employee of one of the Burger King outlets.
According to her, her son had successfully worked there for four years, but after a change of regional management the atmosphere changed, and, as the mother claims, he began to be pushed to resign.
After the post was published, former and current employees of the chain contacted her, reporting possible labour rights violations and pressure from the new management.
The posts sparked a wide public response and discussion on social media. In the comments, users demanded that the managers involved in the scandal be dismissed, that they be replaced with Kazakhstanis, and also called for the information to be brought to the company’s head office.
Amid the scandal, Burger King Kazakhstan conducted an internal review, after which two foreign managers were dismissed.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection had earlier stated that the situation involving the Burger King Kazakhstan employee was under its control. The ministry also noted that an internal inquiry was being conducted in the company and that one of the managers had been temporarily suspended for the duration of the inspection.