Over 700 McDonald’s employees are suing the company over serious sexual harassment claims
Midlands: So, there’s this huge uproar at McDonald’s, right? Over 700 workers are suing the company, claiming it’s like a “predators’ paradise.”
Apparently, some bosses have been making really inappropriate comments and suggestions to younger staff. Like, can you believe they allegedly asked junior employees if they’d trade sex for extra shifts? That’s just wild!
Last year, McDonald’s promised to tackle these issues after getting around 400 complaints. But when the UK chief, Alistair Macrow, spoke to Parliament, he revealed only 75 of those complaints were actually looked into. Only 29 people got fired. Not great, right?
One MP even asked if McDonald’s had become a “predators’ paradise.” Macrow insisted they’re making changes, but it sounds like the bad behavior is still happening. There are also claims of discrimination and racism on top of everything else.
Lawyers from Leigh Day are now representing over 700 current and former employees. It’s a big deal, especially since most of the young workers are on zero-hour contracts, making them more vulnerable.
Some of the stories are just heartbreaking. One girl, Claire, said a manager asked her for sex when she was just 17. She was totally shocked and said it was inappropriate. Another worker quit after being harassed by managers and customers. When she complained, she was told to “suck it up.”
Macrow apologized for the horrific testimonies when he spoke to MPs. He said the situation is unacceptable, but he also claimed these incidents are isolated. Many people, including MPs, are saying it sounds like a pattern of abuse.
One current employee shared that they faced homophobic abuse and were told to just leave if they couldn’t handle it. It’s really concerning that this is happening in a workplace.
McDonald’s has said they don’t recognize the claims about sex for shifts and promised to investigate any misconduct. They’re trying to improve things, but it seems like there’s a long way to go.
These new allegations come after a previous incident where a worker claimed a colleague groped her on CCTV, and nothing was done about it. It’s a tough time for McDonald’s, and it looks like they have a lot to sort out.
