Fast food chain, McDonald’s, is understood to be facing employment claims relating to discrimination, homophobia, and sexual harassment from over 700 employees.
Back in 2023, the BBC published an investigation into claims of a toxic culture at the firm including sexual assault, harassment, racism, and bullying allegations made by more than 100 current and recent staff. After the findings were released, McDonald’s bosses pledged to clean up behaviour across its nationwide branches.
Earlier this month however, a further BBC investigation has revealed that workers are still facing sexual abuse and harassment over a year later.
During questioning by MPs of the Business and Trade Select Committee, Alistair Macrow, head of McDonald’s, stated that 29 individuals had been dismissed following allegations of sexual harassment in the last 12 months. Despite this, investigations have continued to hear from workers who are still experiencing this toxic culture.
In one example, a worker said she left her job at a branch in the West Midlands after managers inappropriately touched her and she was sexually harassed by customers. When she raised the issue, she was told to “suck it up”.
Another worker says a shift manager asked her for sex in return for extra shifts when she was 17 and he was in his 30s.
In a Scottish branch, one worker alleges they were subject to “degrading and humiliating” verbal abuse, including homophobic slurs, by his colleagues.
A 16-year-old employee said he was “bullied, shouted at and sworn at by managers” while another was bullied due to his learning disability and an eye condition.
What To Do If You Experience Sexual Harassment or Bullying at Work
The first thing to do if you have experienced bullying or sexual harassment at work is to report the incident(s) to either your manager, HR representative, or trade union.
It would also be useful if you keep a record of what happened, including times, dates, and further details of every instance that occurs.
When you feel ready, you can contact a legal professional about the possibility of pursuing a claim against your employer. While you may not feel ready to do this straight away, there are strict time limits for submitting a claim so you will need to bear this in mind.
If the instances of bullying or sexual harassment escalate to a criminal act such as violence, threats or sexual assault, you should report this to the police immediately, use 101 or 999 if you are in danger.
Having a Legal Expert on Your Side
Here at Farleys, our employment law solicitors have the expertise and knowledge to guide you through the process of making a claim for bullying or sexual harassment against your employer. We really care about our clients and pride ourselves on providing legal advice in a down to earth, jargon-free way. To discuss your case with one of our specialists in confidence, please call 0845 287 0939, get in touch by email, or use the online contact form below.