Five Dick's Drive-In employees from two of the company's Seattle locations filed health and safety complaints with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I).
The complaints linked to the Capitol Hill and Queen Anne locations document a range of alleged workplace issues, including poor sanitation practices and an alleged failure to comply with COVID-19 safety guidelines.
Chelsea Young, an executive assistant with Dick's Drive-In Restaurants, told KING 5 the company received notice of the complaints filed with L&I Wednesday afternoon.
"We take the safety of our employees and our customers very seriously," a statement from Dick's Drive-In reads. "We immediately started an investigation and will share more information as soon as we can.
"Our rating with the King County Health Department is excellent and that includes our COVID safety protocols for employees and customers,” the statement continued.
The employee complaints include failure to isolate people who may have become infected with COVID-19; lack of access to hot water, improper handwashing and other health violations; ignoring social distancing guidelines, exposure to maskless customers, and frequent burns.