McDonald's Apologises After More Than 100 Workers Claim Sexual Harassment, Assault, Racism, and Bullying

Key Highlights :

1. McDonald's has apologised after more than 100 workers at the fast food chain, past and present, alleged they had been sexually harassed or assaulted or subjected to racism or bullying.

2. The claims published by the BBC on Tuesday bear a close resemblance to what the BFAWU said in 2019. Both say that managers failed to act on some complaints, and that predatory employees were moved to different McDonald's sites rather than being fired.

3. In a story which follows months of investigations by the BBC, the corporation revealed on Tuesday that a worker in his late 30s had called a 17-year-old colleague a racial slur and asked to show her his penis.

     McDonald’s has apologised after more than 100 workers, past and present, at the fast food chain claimed they had been sexually harassed, assaulted, or subjected to racism or bullying. Alistair Macrow, the CEO of McDonald’s in the UK, made the apology after the corporation spoke to dozens of workers.

     The claims are similar to those made in 2019 by the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union, who said that 1,000 women had reported they had been subjected to sexual harassment and abuse while working at McDonald’s restaurants.

     The BBC revealed that a worker in his late 30s had called a 17-year-old colleague a racial slur and asked to show her his penis, while another 17-year-old girl said a senior manager had choked her and grabbed her bottom.

     Mr Macrow said: “Every one of the 177,000 employees in McDonald’s UK deserves to work in a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace. There are clearly instances where we have fallen short and for that we deeply apologise.

     “There is simply no place for harassment, abuse, or discrimination of any kind at McDonald’s, and we will investigate all allegations brought to us, and all proven breaches of our code of conduct will be met with the most severe measures we can legally impose, up to and including dismissal.”

     In February this year, McDonald’s UK committed to a zero-tolerance approach to any kind of harassment with the Equalities and Human Rights Commission. This is supported by a companywide programme of training, the roll out of new policies and strict reporting processes, all aimed at offering the highest possible level of workplace protection for all employees.

     The allegations of sexual harassment, assault, racism, and bullying at McDonald’s are a stark reminder of the importance of creating a safe and positive workplace environment for all employees. Companies must take a proactive approach to ensure all workers are treated with respect and dignity and take all complaints of harassment seriously. By taking a zero-tolerance approach to any kind of harassment, McDonald’s is taking the necessary steps to ensure its employees are protected and respected.

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