News in Brief May 12 – McDonald's, IHOP and More

McDonald’s Wage and Hour Settlement Approved

A New York federal judge has given McDonald’s the green light to go forward with a $1.5 million settlement that will end a class action brought by the fast-food chain’s workers. The lawsuit claimed that McDonald’s employees were not properly compensated for the time and cost involved with cleaning their work uniforms.

FDA Warning: Antipsychotic Drug Can Cause Severe Skin Reaction

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning that the antipsychotic drug olanzapine has the potential to cause a fatal skin reaction. The FDA says it is a “rare but serious” condition that starts as a rash, but spreads to other parts of the body where it can potentially damage internal organs. Only 23 cases have been reported out of the 50 million patients that have used olanzapine, but, because of the discovery, the FDA will be adding new warning labels to all products that contain the drug.

Supplement Companies Fight Over Protein Quality Claims

Like the Montagues and Capulets before them, the supplement companies Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals and MusclePharm are rivals - only instead of a bloody feud, they’re taking their fight to the courtroom. Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals has accused MusclePharm of lying about the quality of the protein it uses in its Arnold Schwarzenegger Series Iron Mass protein powder, claiming that the company uses a notable amount of artificial protein-spiking agents. Hi-Tech is claiming that it loses sales to its MusclePharm because the company deceives consumers into thinking it has the better product.

IHOP Accused of Denying Breaks, Stealing Servers’ Tips

IHOP has been hit with a proposed class action accusing it of failing to give its employees proper rest breaks and stealing tips from its servers. According to the complaint, restaurant policy required servers to over-report their tips – making them pay taxes on income they never received. The California lawsuit is looking to compensate those who were affected by the alleged wage and labor law violations.