Over 100 current and former employees of the fast-food giant McDonald's in the UK have come forward, alleging instances of sexual harassment, racism, and bullying within the establishment. Many of these complaints, according to the victims, were brushed aside by the chain's management.
Shelby, a young employee, started her tenure at a McDonald’s in Berkshire at just 16. She reports that the cramped kitchen space was often used as a pretext by older staff to inappropriately touch younger female colleagues. “Every shift had at least one comment or an inappropriate brush,” the now 18-year-old shared.
She also mentioned an older male employee, about 50, who was notorious among the younger staff. The management even "warned" newcomers about him, yet Shelby had her own disturbing encounter with him. Despite reporting this to the senior management, no action was taken, leading Shelby to resign and label her workplace environment as “toxic”.
However, Shelby's story is not an isolated case. Another young female employee from Cheshire narrated how an older male colleague used racial slurs against her, and made deeply inappropriate comments. Another instance from Wales recounted how some managers would place bets on who among them would be the first to sleep with a new female employee. Emily, 20, spoke about leaving her job in Brighton after continuous inappropriate touching by a 60-year-old colleague.
There were further revelations about relationships between managers and younger staff, a clear breach of company policies. When complaints about managers emerged, these individuals were often merely transferred instead of being dismissed.
Given that most of the employees operate under the franchise system, higher management seems to have found such transfers a sufficient solution. This poses a concern as McDonald’s, one of the largest private-sector employers in the UK, has a very young workforce. For many, it's their first job, and they often operate under zero-hours contracts, making them vulnerable to scheduling whims of shift managers. This has reportedly deterred many from reporting inappropriate conduct for fear of repercussions.
BBC's investigation into McDonald's UK work conditions began after the company entered a binding agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to ensure the protection of its employees from sexual harassment. Despite the company’s claims of progress, this recent investigation suggests otherwise.
In a span of five months, over 100 accusations were gathered, with a significant number relating to sexual harassment. Some staff also pointed out the ineffectiveness of the company's training on these issues, with one individual describing how a manager merely played the training video on an iPad beside an ice cream machine, paying it scant attention.
McDonald's is facing scrutiny globally. In the US, the company has been slapped with lawsuits over similar allegations. Five years ago, such allegations emerged in the UK but were not widely reported, possibly due to non-disclosure agreements in place.
Alistair Macrow, the Chief Executive for McDonald’s UK, responded, "Every one of our 177,000 UK employees deserves a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace. In some instances, we have clearly fallen short, and we deeply apologise.” The company commits to investigating all allegations and promises stringent action against proven misconducts, including possible dismissals.