Fast food giant McDonald’s has been reported to a watchdog by a group of trade unions which have accused bosses of failing to tackle sexual harassment against young members of staff across its UK restaurants.
Five trade unions are claiming McDonald’s has violated international labour standards and say junior workers, ‘most of them teenagers’, have been subjected to ‘repeated episodes’ of harassment.
Unions including the Bakers Union and the TUC first lodged the complaint in February 2024, following reports of widespread discrimination, harassment and sexual abuse at the chain.
McDonald’s was reported to the UK’s National Contact Point (NCP), an independent unit within the Department for Business and Trade which handles complaints under the OECD guidelines for multinational companies.
Now the NCP has ruled the grievance warrants further consideration.
The unions allege that there has been ‘further evidence of persistent, deeply rooted gender-based discrimination’ in McDonald’s restaurants, which disproportionately affects teenagers and young people.
They say issues have been ongoing since at least 2019 and pointed to a BBC investigation which revealed a ‘toxic’ work environment in which staff reported being subject to bullying, racism, sexual harassment and assault and homophobia.
The decision to take the complaint further is not a finding against McDonald’s, and the NCP will now offer mediation to all parties.
Five trade unions are claiming McDonald’s has violated international labour standards and say junior workers, ‘most of them teenagers’, have been subjected to ‘repeated episodes’ of harassment
The mediation process is voluntary and, according to the NCP, if either side refuses, it will re-examine the initial complaint.
Ilana Cole, 18, was one of hundreds of staff members to speak out after being hired at the chain when she was 16. She was later transferred to a different branch and, upon starting her new role underwent an interview with a manager.
‘He started telling me about the differences between this branch and my last branch and said ‘Here we’re a lot busier, it’s like you’re getting raped up the a** everyday’,’ she told the Mail.
She alleged that she was ‘groped’ by a manager and saw other young women also sexually harassed, and said she witnessed managers discriminating against staff with disabilities.
She described one manager who she said ‘would get really close behind the younger girls almost pressed right against their back, constantly getting close to the girls and deliberately brushing his hand against their waist or bum, which he did to me too.’
Other employees to allege harassment included a woman from the Midlands who, at 17, said she had been asked for sex in exchange for extra shifts by a manager.
And staff as young as 16 reported being bullied and yelled at, with a 20-year-old woman telling how a manager sent her topless pictures.
Another woman, who quit her job at a West Midlands branch at the end of 2023, told the BBC managers inappropriately touched her and customers harassed her.
Ilana Cole, 18, alleged that she was ‘groped’ by a manager and saw other young women also sexually harassed while working at McDonald’s
Following press coverage of the allegations made by junior staff, many of whom were under 18 at the time of their employment, McDonald’s and its UK CEO Alistair Macrow (pictured) issued an apology and set up a unit to investigate complaints
She claims that when she reported the abuse, she was told to ‘suck it up’.
Other employees previously told MailOnline they had been groped, given sexual nicknames such as ‘McBike’ and were rated on their appearance at work on scoreboards.
It was revealed staff members would refer to employees with learning disabilities as ‘re****s’, young women were routinely groped and one store saw managers have a ‘scoreboard’ for ‘sexual conquests’.
The unions say McDonald’s has breached international guidelines in relation to human rights and employment and industrial relations.
Responding to the complaint, McDonald’s claimed it could not be held responsible for incidents which occur in its franchised restaurants, which make up the majority of its 1,450 UK branches.
The NCP noted: ‘[McDonald’s] raised concerns that due to its corporate structure, the issues raised regarding its franchises cannot be included in the UK complaint process as the franchises are not listed as a party to the complaint.’
The NCP has not made any ruling on the matter but noted the issues raised applied to both McDonald’s-owned stores and its franchises.
Separately, more than 700 current and former employees are currently suing the firm.
Following press coverage of the allegations made by junior staff, many of whom were under 18 at the time of their employment, McDonald’s and its UK CEO Alistair Macrow issued an apology and set up a unit to investigate complaints.
In November, the corporation said it was bringing in new sexual harassment training for managers in a bid to protect staff members.
The organisations bringing the complaint to the NCP are: Bakers Union (BFAWU),
International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations Global Union (IUF), the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT-IUF), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
They are supported by the Corporate Justice Coalition (CJC), a corporate accountability network made up of 67 partner organisations.
McDonald’s and the trade unions have been contacted for comment.
