A former employee of a fast-food chain in Ibiza has accused her managers of forcing staff to overcharge tourists by adding surcharges and unrequested extras to their orders. Speaking to Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera, she claimed that workers who refused to follow the practice faced threats and degrading treatment.
The ex-employee alleged that staff were told to swap standard menu items for more expensive versions without customers’ knowledge — particularly targeting British holidaymakers. A typical example, she said, involved replacing a regular cheeseburger with an XL version and adding extras such as additional patties, cheese or fries, all without the customer asking. “We had to do it without them realising,” she claimed.
Her refusal to take part in the scheme led to her dismissal mid-shift, she said, with management claiming she had failed her probation period. The situation worsened when she attempted to return her uniform and collect her final pay. She alleged that the manager refused to accept one garment, citing grease stains and a hole, and declined to issue a receipt — a move she believes was intended to avoid paying her for the days worked.
The woman described a workplace culture of humiliation, shouting and intimidation. She recounted one incident in which a colleague mopping the floor was forced to clean it with her hands. Shifts were “endless and irregular”, she claimed, with kitchen staff finishing at 4am and returning at 9am. Many employees had either been sacked or left, she said, while others stayed because they had no alternative.
The former worker has lodged a formal complaint with the authorities and says she wants the public to know about the conditions “for the colleagues who have to stay there enduring that inhumane treatment”. The franchise has not publicly responded to the allegations.