This Taco Bell Holiday Party Sounds Like Hell
As the holiday season draws near, it’s important to remember what is and isn’t appropriate for your job’s holiday function. Having a drink or two is fine, but don’t overdo it. Don’t say anything weird to your co-workers. And definitely, definitely do not get hammered, have sex in front of everyone, and then throw up into the guacamole bowl. That’s a huge no-no.
A woman in the Los Angeles area is suing Taco Bell and Alvarado Restaurant Group, the franchise owner, claiming that she was forced to quit after reporting a particularly raucous Christmas party to human resources. In the lawsuit obtained by the New York Post, Alana Bechiom alleges that last year she attended a Christmas party at the San Pedro, California, Taco Bell where she worked as a cashier. The complaint states that this was a potluck and Bechiom brought guacamole. You think that would be a safe choice, but no.
Upon arriving at the Taco Bell, Bechiom says she “discovered that (supervisor) Lidia Ruiz covered the windows of the restaurant with wrapping paper” and “also covered the cameras for the lobby in the inside of the restaurant.” Bechiom also alleges that Ruiz provided alcohol for the occasion and several employees were “overserved.”
After taking a break outside, Bechiom says she returned to the party around midnight, only to find a co-worker “having sex with his wife in front of everyone at the party.” Not only that, but Bechiom claims that the wife was “kissing both Ruiz and another co-worker.” When Bechiom tried to grab her guacamole bowl and leave, she claims that Ruiz and another co-worker were both puking, and that one of them was using her bowl as a receptacle.
The lawsuit states that following Bechiom’s complaint to human resources, the employees involved in the sex acts were fired. But she claims that following their termination, she was threatened and her car window was smashed by someone “associated with” her former co-workers. Eventually, Bechiom “felt so overcome with significant stress, physical and mental illness, and anxiety from the hostile work environment” that she told her bosses she was quitting.
In a statement to KTLA, a Taco Bell spokesperson said, “While we don’t own or manage this location, the franchisee who owns and operates this restaurant has shared that they take these claims very seriously.”
At least we can all breathe easy knowing that we’ve probably never acted out to this degree. If you wake up after your own holiday party feeling embarrassed because you said something kind of weird to your boss, just know it could have been so much worse.
Related