Teen Workers at McDonald’s in UK Allege Sexual Harassment, Bullying, and Racism

International

oi-Madhuri Adnal

McDonald’s UK CEO Alistair Macrow has issued an apology in response to a BBC report detailing allegations of sexual misconduct, racism, and bullying by staff members at the fast-food giant.

The BBC investigation, which began in February, found that more than 100 former and current McDonald’s employees had made the allegations.

According to the BBC, multiple workers have claimed that harassment and assaults were perpetrated by McDonald’s managers at various outlets across the UK. Furthermore, senior managers are alleged to have failed to take appropriate action upon receiving complaints.

The investigation revealed deeply troubling allegations of routine groping and harassment within McDonald’s staff. Shockingly, some of these victims are as young as 17 years old, according to the report.

The investigation shed light on several distressing incidents, including the following:

• A 17-year-old worker disclosed that a colleague, who was 20 years older, directed a racial slur towards her and made inappropriate requests to expose his genitals.
• A former employee, who was 17 at the time, reported that a senior manager physically assaulted her by choking her and grabbing her backside. Additionally, she was subjected to receiving sexually explicit images from another manager.
• An underage male employee, aged 16, was approached with offers to engage in sexual acts in exchange for vaping products.
• A manager demonstrated predatory behavior by targeting young female newcomers, attempting to pressure them into engaging in sexual activities.
• A female employee shared experiences of being subjected to a slur and enduring racist jokes.
• An incident involving anti-Semitic abuse was also documented.
• A current employee, originally from India, revealed that crew members mocked and imitated individuals by speaking in ‘gibberish’. Furthermore, they referred to a Pakistani colleague as a terrorist.

This investigation follows McDonald’s commitment to the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), wherein the company agreed to implement measures to safeguard employees from sexual harassment.

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In response to the allegations, Alistair Macrow, the UK Chief Executive of McDonald’s, expressed his commitment to providing a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace for the company’s 177,000 employees in the UK. Macrow stated, “There are clearly instances where we have fallen short, and for that, we deeply apologize.”

He also said that any proven violations of the company’s code of conduct will be met with severe disciplinary actions, including potential dismissal.

The EHRC has expressed concern regarding these allegations and stated that it will examine them in the context of the existing legal agreement with McDonald’s to address sexual harassment of staff in its restaurants.

It is noteworthy that McDonald’s employs one of the youngest workforces in the UK, with approximately 75% of its workers aged between 16 and 25.

The BBC’s investigation revealed that employees, some as young as 17, reported incidents of routine groping and harassment.

Story first published: Wednesday, July 19, 2023, 21:06 [IST]