Figures that send shivers down your spine. At a hearing before the Business and Trade Committee in Westminster on Tuesday 14 November, Alistair Macrow, McDonald’s head of UK and Ireland, said the fast food giant was receiving “one by two” allegations of sexual harassment per week by employees. Added to this would be around five reports of moral harassment per week, he assures.
A BBC investigation last July
This hearing comes after a series of allegations of sexual and racist harassment revealed this summer as part of an investigation led by the BBC. Since the publication, and the scandal it sparked, McDonald’s says it has fired 18 employees and taken 75 disciplinary measures, after examining 157 reported cases. They would have 249 cases left to study.
Following the BBC revelations, the fast food giant promised to create a unit to investigate cases of sexual harassment or assault or even racism on its sites in the UK.
A few days ago, the law firm Leigh Day launched a class action on behalf of McDonald’s employees who claim to have been victims of assault or harassment.
Several alleged victims are minors
Alistair Macrow reiterated that it was “ absolutely determined » stop this phenomenon and “ identify those responsible » For “make sure they are eradicated [l’] agency “.
A determination also questioned by the union leaders interviewed, who state that, contrary to what the boss stated, the situation within the company has not improved since the internal investigations were started. The unions also allege that McDonald’s has a history of using settlement agreements with alleged harassment victims that include confidentiality clauses.
The fast food giant was previously targeted by such allegations four years ago, when the Bakery and Food Workers Union (BFAWU) said more than 1,000 employees claimed to be victims of harassment, abuse and sexual abuse.
BBC investigation reveals many underage employees say they are victims of sexual or moral harassment. One former employee, Shelby, who was just 16 when she started working at McDonald’s, told the BBC that she was constantly touched inappropriately and unwantedly by older male employees in the kitchen. The fast food chain has 177,000 employees in the UK, most of whom are very young, even teenagers.
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Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
