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More than 700 McDonald’s workers join legal action over harassment claims McDonald’s sacked 29 people after sexual harassment allegations, MPs told
(about 5 hours later)
Hundreds of UK restaurants cited in allegations of discrimination, homophobia and sexual harassment Information at select committee comes as more than 700 junior workers join legal action against chain
More than 700 junior McDonald’s workers have joined legal action against the fast-food chain after allegations of widespread discrimination, homophobia and sexual harassment at its restaurants across the UK. The chief executive of McDonald’s has said 29 people have been dismissed in the past year after allegations of sexual harassment.
The UK boss of the fast-food chain, Alistair Macrow, told MPs on Tuesday that it had been alerted to 75 allegations of sexual harassment over the last 12 months, 47 of which had been upheld with disciplinary action taken and 29 resulted in people being dismissed.
Macrow’s appearance before MPs on the business and trade select committee came as more than 700 junior McDonald’s workers joined legal action against the chain after allegations of widespread discrimination, homophobia and sexual harassment at its UK restaurants.
Hundreds of current and former crew members – some as young as 19 – have instructed the law firm Leigh Day to take action on their behalf, in a move that has implicated more than 450 of its outlets in Britain.Hundreds of current and former crew members – some as young as 19 – have instructed the law firm Leigh Day to take action on their behalf, in a move that has implicated more than 450 of its outlets in Britain.
Complainants have been coming forward after an investigation a year ago by the BBC, which on Tuesday claimed that workers at the chain were still facing sexual abuse and harassment despite a promise from McDonald’s to address the concerns after they were first raised.Complainants have been coming forward after an investigation a year ago by the BBC, which on Tuesday claimed that workers at the chain were still facing sexual abuse and harassment despite a promise from McDonald’s to address the concerns after they were first raised.
The fresh allegations and legal claim are likely to be front and centre when the UK boss of McDonald’s, Alistair Macrow, faces MPs on the business and trade committee on Tuesday afternoon. McDonald’s is one of the UK’s largest private sector employers, with 168,000 people working at more than 1,400 restaurants. On Tuesday, Liam Byrne, the chair of the business and trade select committee, asked Macrow if McDonald’s had “basically now become a predator’s paradise”.
McDonald’s is one of the UK’s largest private sector employers, with 168,000 people working at more than 1,400 restaurants.
McDonald’s said: “We have repeatedly asked the BBC to provide details of the deeply troubling cases they have outlined, to allow us to carry out full investigations, which we have not received. We understand the majority of these cases took place more than 12 months ago.”McDonald’s said: “We have repeatedly asked the BBC to provide details of the deeply troubling cases they have outlined, to allow us to carry out full investigations, which we have not received. We understand the majority of these cases took place more than 12 months ago.”
One of Leigh Day’s 19-year-old clients said they had been subject to homophobic comments from managers and other crew members.One of Leigh Day’s 19-year-old clients said they had been subject to homophobic comments from managers and other crew members.
“I feel as though I can’t speak to any managers about it,” he said. “My manager said if I can’t deal with it, I should just leave the job. Things said to me shouldn’t be said to anyone, I’ve been called names like ‘faggot’. These comments make me feel really uncomfortable – I hate working there.”“I feel as though I can’t speak to any managers about it,” he said. “My manager said if I can’t deal with it, I should just leave the job. Things said to me shouldn’t be said to anyone, I’ve been called names like ‘faggot’. These comments make me feel really uncomfortable – I hate working there.”
Another client, who left his job at a McDonald’s branch in the Midlands last year, told the BBC he was bullied for having a learning disability and an eye condition. He also said he had witnessed managers and staff being racist to other employees, and that managers had tried to “touch other staff up”.Another client, who left his job at a McDonald’s branch in the Midlands last year, told the BBC he was bullied for having a learning disability and an eye condition. He also said he had witnessed managers and staff being racist to other employees, and that managers had tried to “touch other staff up”.
Leigh Day said other examples of harassment included a young worker repeatedly being pestered for sex, and another being asked sexual questions including how many people they had slept with. Leigh Day said other examples of harassment included a young worker repeatedly being pestered for sex, and another being asked sexual questions including how many people they had slept with. Another worker was asked for sex in return for extra shifts, which she refused, the BBC reported.
One manager is said to have preyed on young female workers, while another allegedly made racist comments such as whether staff would steal from the company because of where they were from. Byrne said the allegations appeared to reveal “a pattern of abuse in what’s become a hotbed of harassment”.
Ongoing complaints about harassment and discrimination have also caught the attention of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which said it had received complaints about 300 reported incidents of harassment since the BBC’s original investigation in 2023. Macrow said the allegations raised by the BBC were “abhorrent, they are unacceptable and there is no place for them in McDonald’s” and the company was determined to create a culture where there was “no hiding place for bad actors”.
The EHRC said it was ramping up its intervention. “We are actively working with McDonald’s to update our ongoing legal agreement in light of serious allegations raised by our work with the company, and the BBC investigation,” the watchdog told the news broadcaster.
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A McDonald’s spokesperson said: “Ensuring the 168,000 people that work in McDonald’s restaurants are safe is the most important responsibility for both us and our franchisees, and we have undertaken extensive work over the last year to ensure we have industry leading practices in place to support this priority. Antonia Bance MP said that McDonald’s widespread use of zero-hours contracts “opened the door to favouritism, bullying and sexual harassment”, claiming that the setup, where workers have no guarantees on regular working hours “enables predatory managers and puts workers at greater risk of bullying and sexual harassment”.
“Any incident of misconduct and harassment is unacceptable and subject to rapid and thorough investigation and action.” Macrow said he did not accept that premise, saying McDonald’s workers, who were often students, valued flexibility in their working hours and the cases of harassment “are cultural issues that must be addressed, not contractual issues”.
McDonald’s said it had hired its first head of safeguarding and had rolled out company-wide programmes to improve safeguarding, awareness and training. That includes a digital whistleblowing channel called Red Flags, and an investigations handling unit “dedicated to rooting out any behaviour that falls below the high standards we demand of everyone at McDonald’s”. Ongoing complaints about harassment and discrimination have also caught the attention of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which said it had received complaints about 300 reported incidents of harassment since the BBC’s original investigation in 2023. The EHRC said it was ramping up its intervention.
The spokesperson added: “We are confident that we are taking significant and important steps to tackle the unacceptable behaviours facing every organisation. A McDonald’s spokesperson said: “Any incident of misconduct and harassment is unacceptable and subject to rapid and thorough investigation and action.”
“We are encouraged that our latest anonymous employee survey showed that 92% of our and our franchisees’ people are now comfortable speaking up, and 93% believe management will act. However, we know that we must be constantly vigilant, and we will challenge and confront any behaviour that falls below those standards.” Macrow said the cases identified by the BBC were “isolated incidents” and largely historic before the company implemented a number of changes including a new whistleblower system.
McDonald’s said it had hired its first head of safeguarding and had rolled out company-wide programmes to improve safeguarding, awareness and training. That includes the digital whistleblowing channel called Red Flags and an investigations handling unit “dedicated to rooting out any behaviour that falls below the high standards we demand of everyone at McDonald’s”.