Global fast food chain company McDonald's is under fire over harassment claims following a bombshell report compiling workers' accusations of a "toxic culture of sexual assault, harassment, racism, and bullying."
The investigation of the situation, which BBC conducted, found that there were ten specific times of harassment and abuse. Additionally, employees allege that managers would often downplay the complaints or, in some cases, were the ones who instigated the harassment.
McDonald's Faces Harassment Accusations
The report noted that several staff members said that McDonald's managers at outlets across the United Kingdom were responsible for the harassment and assaults. A former worker for the company, who went by the name of Emily, said there were already expectations that if you worked for the fast food chain, you would be harassed at some point.
The chief executive of McDonald's in the UK and Ireland, Alistar Macrow, said that every single one of the company's 177,000 employees in the UK deserves to work in a "safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace," as per Salon.
The report included hundreds of former and current McDonald's workers who have come forward to reveal the controversy surrounding the fast food giant. The probe found that workers as young as 17 claimed they were being groped and harassed almost routinely.
With more stories highlighting the controversy, McDonald's faces further pressure to address the issue. The company said that it has "stringent" standards and would work on investigating all allegations that are brought to it.
Macrow acknowledged that there have been instances where the company has fallen short and apologized to the victims. One worker claimed that an older female manager forced his hand down her trousers and smacked his rear.
Some also said that managers smoked cannabis and took cocaine inside the offices while they were at work. There was also an accusation that one manager became a drug dealer for his employees, according to BBC.
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A Toxic Workplace Environment
Many people who came forward said they were previously afraid to do so because they were afraid to report the alleged behavior. Others who said they complained argued that managers ignored them or even criticized them.
Emily, who worked in a branch of McDonald's located in the North West when she was 17, said that her workplace environment was "really toxic." She said that she was constantly being asked inappropriate things by other male staff.
She said she told the manager to leave her alone and even emailed the company's staff support service to report the incident but did not reply. A week after a groping incident, she was fired for "being rude to staff."
Britain's Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said that under the Equality Act 2010, employers are legally responsible when a worker is sexually harassed at work by another employee. It added that if the employer does not conduct any corrective measures, they will receive legal consequences, said the New York Post.
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