McDonald’s signs agreement to protect staff from sexual harassment

McDonald’s has signed a legal agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in response to concerns about the handling of sexual harassment complaints made by staff in its UK restaurants.

Under the legal agreement with the EHRC, the chain has pledged to communicate a zero tolerance approach to sexual harassment, conduct an anonymous survey of workers about workplace safety, and enhance its policies and procedures to prevent sexual harassment and improve responses to complaints. 

McDonald’s will also deliver anti-harassment training to its staff, introduce specific training and materials to help managers identify areas of risk within their venues, as well as support the uptake of the policy within its independent organisations.

Under the Equality Act 2010, employers are legally responsible if an employee is sexually harassed at work by another employee, and the employer has not taken all steps they could to prevent it from happening.

In the Worker Protection Bill, Parliament is currently considering placing a duty on employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment.

Baroness Kishwer Falkner, chairwoman of the EHRC, said: “There should be zero tolerance of sexual harassment in every organisation. It can devastate people’s lives and create a toxic working environment for all. Every employer, no matter how big or small, is responsible for protecting its workforce. 

“We work with all companies to help them do this. We are determined to crack down on workplace cultures of sexual harassment, whether in restaurants or hotels, sports clubs or offices.”

She added: “We are pleased that McDonald’s has signed this agreement to signal their intent to make their restaurants safe places to work. The improvements they put in place can set an example for others to follow, whether in the hospitality industry or elsewhere.”

Alistair Macrow, CEO of McDonald’s UK&I, said: “As one of the UK’s leading employers, the safety and wellbeing of our people is our absolute priority. It is hugely important to me that everyone in our organisation feels safe, respected and included at all times – this is core to the values of our business.

“We already have a strong track record in this area and I now welcome the opportunity to work with the EHRC to further strengthen this. We will partner with the EHRC to bolster our best practice training and reporting approaches across our business to ensure that our values are understood, lived and acted upon across our organisation. Harassment and abuse have no place in our society or at McDonald’s.”