Under the agreement, a strengthened action plan has been developed ‘in response to serious allegations raised after the original agreement was signed’.
This refers to an investigation into workplace conditions at McDonald’s by the BBC in July 2023 that gathered more than 100 allegations of sexual and racial abuse as well as harassment, homophobia and bullying.
The EHRC says it has extended the agreement to monitor the strengthened action plan and ensure it effectively prevents sexual harassment.
Among the measures set out under the strengthened action plan, McDonald’s will refresh sexual harassment training for restaurant managers, including franchisees, and expand the topics covered during training to include social media and grooming of young and/or vulnerable workers.
It will also introduce a new safeguarding policy and work with external safeguarding experts to design and implement a new safeguarding plan to protect vulnerable workers.
Additionally, it will commission an external auditor to audit the new complaints handling unit to give assurance that sexual harassment complaints are handled appropriately, and ensure complaints against managers are investigated outside the restaurant.
Announcing the extended agreement, Baroness Kishwer Falkner, chairwoman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, says: “We originally signed a legal agreement with McDonald’s to prevent sexual harassment in 2023.
“After serious allegations were raised, we decided we needed to update the action plan with stronger actions that were more specific to the way McDonald’s operates.
“We’re pleased with the significant steps McDonald’s has agreed to take towards a safer working environment for its staff and recognise the hard work they’ve done so far.
“Once completed, the actions that make up this legal agreement will ensure that there is zero tolerance for harassment at McDonald’s and there are clear routes to report and resolve complaints if it does occur.”
Following the publication of the BBC’s original investigation, McDonald’s then UK boss Alistair Macrow pledged to ‘root out’ any behaviour or conduct that fell below the ‘high standards McDonald’s expects of its staff’.
Further allegations
However, further allegations were published by the BBC in January of this year and more than 700 McDonald’s junior crew members have now joined a legal action against the fast food giant.
A McDonald’s spokesperson said: “Over the last three years, alongside our franchisees, we have embedded an extensive set of robust and far-reaching initiatives, as part of our steadfast commitment to ensuring a safe working environment in McDonald’s restaurants.
“We welcome the fact that these measures have been formalised within the latest EHRC agreement. This will build on the significant progress we have already made in this space.
“The agreement incorporates many of our existing measures which have been developed in consultation with leading experts. This includes a range of initiatives, from enhanced training programmes and onboarding practices to the launch of a new digital Speak Up channel designed with our crew - for our crew, providing a 24/7 channel that reflects the way young people feel most comfortable engaging.
“We are confident the measures we have implemented are working and making a difference to the 148,000 people currently employed by McDonald’s and our Franchisees across the UK today. In the latest anonymous employee survey, 95% of people are aware of ways in which they can speak up.
“We look forward to continuing our work with the EHRC and believe it will help us remain at the forefront of the industry when it comes to creating a safe and respectful workplace culture that embeds safeguarding across every one of our restaurants.”