McDonald's faces new crackdown on sexual abuse
In strengthened steps agreed with the equality watchdog to shield McDonald's workers from bullying, McDonald'll include new sexual harassment training for managers. After it first intervened in the company, the change was in reaction to serious allegations raised,
the watchdog said. According to a BBC investigation, employees, some as young as 17, were groped and threatened. McDonald's employees told us earlier this year that they also suffered sexual assault and bullying. McDonald's said it applauded the new plans, adding that they would "build on the significant strides we have already made in this sector. However, one former employee said that the news would not make a difference.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is now extending its original initiative, which was introduced in 2023 to shield employees at the fast-food chain from sexual harassment. The new training will concentrate on young workers' grooming and the use of social media. According to the EHRC, McDonald's has agreed to bring an outside body to investigate whether it was handling sexual harassment allegations properly. McDonald's restaurants in England, Scotland, and Wales are affected by the latest developments. Although franchises are not directly involved in the deal, it is likely that some of the action points will be included in the contract. In February 2023, the fast-food chain signed its legally binding deal with the EHRC. After the deal was signed, the BBC first started looking at McDonald's working conditions. More than 100 current and former employees of the fast-food chain who said they were sexual assault, bullying, and bullying in July 2023 were interviewed by the BBC. McDonald's apologised and formed a new unit to deal with complaints at the time. Since then, more than 160 people have contacted the BBC with allegations, but the EHRC has seen 300 reported incidents of bullying, but there have been 300 cases of bullying. McDonald's employees told us in January that sexual harassment had remained a year after the company's chief executive promised to change the fast-food chain's behaving.
‘It’s a check box for them to tick’
One former McDonald's employee, who appeared on the BBC's first probe, said she did not think the changes would make a difference.
she said.They've looked at what they might do in terms of what sounds promising enough but not necessarily what would bring change,
she said.I don't even think they have any intrinsic motivation to make the change, but I don''t think they care enough,
the organizers promise and it will not happen.It's a check box for them to tick, like just with the exercises, and they'll do it and it won't happen,
I think we can safely say that the equality watchdog would not be taking this action if conditions were fine at McDonald's.Leigh Day, a law firm, earlier this year, said it had been directed to begin legal proceedings against McDonald's by hundreds of employees and former employees, with more than 450 restaurants cited. According to Leigh Day employment lawyer Kiran Daurka,
Ms DaurkaThey had their first deal with McDonald's in 2023. So the EHRC is concerned that no such strides have been made.
said that the company would like to seemore interrogation
as we've seen how sexual harassment issues can fall between the two groups.of the company's relationship with the franchises,
Baroness Kishwer Falkner, chairwoman of the EHRC.We decided we needed to rewrite the action plan with more concrete steps that were more tailored to McDonald's business model after serious charges were raised,
Most of the steps that McDonald's is now committed include improving risk assessments and encouraging employees to speak out when something seems to be wrong. It will partner with external experts to develop and implement a new safeguarding scheme to shield vulnerable employees, which will be rolled out throughout McDonald's restaurants and franchisees' restaurants.We're thrilled with McDonald's important decision to move towards a safer working environment for its employees, as well as acknowledging the hard work they've done so far.
Baroness Falkner said. According to Ian Hodson, national president of the Bakers Union, which represents food workers, there needs to beOnce completed, the steps that make up this legal deal will ensure that there is zero tolerance for bullying at McDonald's and that there are concrete ways to report and resolve complaints if necessary,
real changeat McDonald's. "It's a huge problem. According to BBC News, workers should be allowed to go to work without being sexually assaulted, and employers should have a responsibility to act.
Other claims the BBC heard include:
The watchdog wrote to every McDonald's in the United Kingdom earlier this year, warning that if they did not take steps to shield employees from sexual harassment, they may face court action. Since the BBC's initial probe, McDonald's boss in the United Kingdom has been summoned twice to Parliament to answer questions in front of MPs. Alistair Macrow said 29 people had been dismissed for sexual harassment charges in the last 12 months. Mr Macrow left McDonald's in September.
We are delighted that these steps have been formalized within the new EHRC deal. This would continue to expand on the significant strides we've already made in this sector.We've embedded an extensive and far-reaching program over the past three years in McDonald's restaurants as part of our continuing commitment to ensuring a safe working environment.
We are confident that the steps we have put in place are effective and making a difference to the 148,000 employees currently employed by McDonald's and our Franchisees around the UK today. According to the most recent anonymous employee survey, 95% of people are aware of ways in which they can speak up.The deal incorporates many of our existing programs that have been developed in consultation with leading experts. A variety of initiatives have been implemented, ranging from enhanced training services and onboarding procedures to the unveiling of a new digital Speak Up channel with our crew, to the creation of esthetic 24/7 channels that represent the way young people are most active.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this story, please contact theBBC Action Line for more information and assistance.We look forward to continuing our EHRC service and know that it will continue to be a leader in the industry in terms of establishing a safe and respectful workplace culture that embeds safeguarding in every one of our restaurants.
