McDonald's faces new crackdown on sexual abuse | BBC News

Key Concepts

• Sexual Harassment
• Bullying
• Abuse
• Equality Watchdog (Equality and Human Rights Commission)
• Manager Training
• Grooming of Young Workers
• External Review of Claims Handling
• Franchises
• BBC Investigation

McDonald's Strengthens Measures Against Sexual Harassment

McDonald's is implementing new sexual harassment training for its managers as part of strengthened measures agreed upon with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). This action follows a BBC investigation two years prior, which revealed that workers, some as young as 17, were subjected to routine groping and harassment. McDonald's stated that these new measures will build upon the "significant progress" already made.

Background and Previous Investigation

A month-long BBC investigation in 2023 uncovered that over 100 McDonald's workers reported experiencing a culture of sexual harassment, bullying, and abuse. The BBC's initial inquiry began after McDonald's signed an agreement with the EHRC. The EHRC's current intervention signifies a need for further action to protect McDonald's staff from sexual abuse.

EHRC Intervention and New Measures

The EHRC has intervened again, requiring McDonald's and its franchises to adopt a new set of measures. A spokesperson for the EHRC commented that the commission's need to return to McDonald's and its franchises to strengthen and extend the agreement suggests that McDonald's may not have fully complied with the commission's previous requirements over the last two years.

The strengthened steps include:

• New Sexual Harassment Training for Managers and Franchises: This training will specifically focus on the grooming of young workers.
• External Review Body: An independent external body will be brought in to assess whether McDonald's is handling sexual harassment claims appropriately.

The EHRC expressed satisfaction with the steps McDonald's is now taking, despite the need for stronger actions.

Employee Skepticism and Corporate Response

One former McDonald's employee, who participated in the initial BBC investigation, expressed doubt about the effectiveness of the new measures. She stated, "No, they've looked at what they can possibly do um in terms of what will sound promising enough um but not will actually bring change and I don't think they actually have any personal desire to make the change. I don't think they care enough." She further characterized the initiatives as a "check box" exercise, similar to previous training, suggesting that the company views it as a task to complete rather than a genuine commitment to change.

The Chief Executive of McDonald's has been summoned to Parliament twice to address the abuse allegations uncovered by the BBC. McDonald's has described the allegations as "abhorrent, unacceptable, and there is no place for them in McDonald's."

McDonald's stated that it, along with its franchises, has implemented "an extensive set of robust and far-reaching initiatives to ensure a safe working environment." The company welcomed the new measures, reiterating that they will build on existing progress and expressed confidence that their current measures are effective and making a difference.

Conclusion

McDonald's is enhancing its efforts to combat sexual harassment and abuse within its workforce by introducing new manager training focused on grooming and establishing an external review process for handling claims. These steps are a response to significant findings from a BBC investigation and renewed intervention by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. While McDonald's asserts progress and confidence in its existing and new measures, some former employees remain skeptical about the genuine commitment to systemic change, viewing the initiatives as potentially superficial.