Matty, an employee at McDonald’s, has expressed that the company still has room for improvement in fostering a cleaner workplace culture. He mentioned that in the past, there was a culture of open discussions about personal matters, including sex life, among managers and other staff. However, he noted a positive shift lately, describing the environment as more normal. Having been with McDonald’s since his teenage years, Matty advised potential employees to carefully consider joining.
Another former worker, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared that the work environment had shown little improvement before their departure earlier this year, stating that the situation was not significantly better.
These observations coincide with the recent announcement that McDonald’s has reached additional agreements with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in the UK to safeguard employees from sexual abuse. The EHRC had initially partnered with McDonald’s in 2023 to address concerns regarding the handling of staff complaints about sexual harassment in UK restaurants. This partnership, originally set to end in 2025, has been extended and reinforced for at least another year.
In response to the need for stronger actions, the EHRC issued a warning to McDonald’s franchise owners earlier this year, emphasizing potential legal consequences for non-compliance. The EHRC acknowledged McDonald’s efforts but stressed the necessity for further improvements.
Earlier this year, over 750 individuals who worked at McDonald’s while under 19 years old engaged law firm Leigh Day for legal action, implicating more than 450 McDonald’s locations in claims of discrimination, homophobia, racism, ableism, and harassment.
Kiran Daurka, an employment law partner at Leigh Day, highlighted the EHRC’s concerns and stressed the importance of McDonald’s taking responsibility and implementing substantial changes to protect its young workforce.
Baroness Kishwer Falkner, chairwoman of the EHRC, emphasized the need for updated actions tailored to McDonald’s operations to prevent sexual harassment. The new measures under the agreement include collaborating with external experts on a safeguarding plan, investigating complaints against managers externally, auditing the complaints handling unit, and enhancing training for managers and franchisees.
As one of the largest UK employers with over 170,000 employees across 1,450 restaurants, McDonald’s aims to create a safer workplace environment for its predominantly young workforce.
The EHRC’s intervention followed a BBC report in 2023 that exposed issues of sexual assault, harassment, racism, and bullying within McDonald’s, prompting the company to engage consultants to assess its restaurants.
A McDonald’s spokesperson emphasized the company’s continuous efforts over the past few years to implement robust safety initiatives within its restaurants in collaboration with franchisees. The spokesperson welcomed the formalization of these measures in the latest EHRC agreement, highlighting the progress made and the positive impact on the current workforce.
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