McDonald's employee caught on camera in unsanitary act: 'He should've been fired'

A McDonald's in Pittsburgh claims it has fired one of its employees after a customer noticed his behavior through the drive-thru window.

John Holieb was visiting the fast food restaurant with his girlfriend when he reportedly saw something that would make most customers lose their appetite — one of the kitchen's workers had both of his hands in his pants.

"My girlfriend made a comment about how she can’t believe no one [in the kitchen was] wearing a uniform," Holieb told Fox News. "Then she notices the guy with both hands down his pants. I looked and said, 'WTF, This is crazy' —then I reached for my phone and took two pictures."

Holieb shared the photos to his Facebook page, but they were later taken down. In one image, which Holieb provided to In The Know, a man can be seen standing in the kitchen with one hand inside his sweatpants.

Holieb told In The Know that several other unemployees witnessed the man's behavior and did nothing to stop him. It's not immediately clear from the photo if the man was working at the time.

"There is a sink right next to him, and never once did he go over to it and wash his hands," Holieb added.

After Holieb shared his experience on Facebook, he allegedly received a message from the restaurant's general manager. In the texts, the unnamed manager stated that the issue had been "corrected immediately."

"I work hard to keep food safety as my top priority and I continue to do so. Please know that the owner and I have taken action," the message, obtained by Fox News, added.

A spokesperson for the company that owns the McDonald's franchise where Holieb took the photo later confirmed in a statement to Fox News that the employee shown in the image "is no longer employed by [our] organization."

Holieb told In The Know he was satisfied with that result but added that he believed the company should go further to enforce strict health standards.

"He should've been fired," he said. "My next step would be a new line of training for every employee working there so something like that never happens again. Teach people to have respect for the workplace and pride in their work."