By AFP
January 7, 2025
McDonald's UK has around 170,000 employees in the UK, many of whom are young workers - Copyright AFP/File Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV
More than 700 young workers are suing McDonald’s UK after widespread harassment claims were exposed in the media in 2023, law firm Leigh Day said on Tuesday.
Leigh Day is seeking compensation from the US fast-food giant on behalf of current and former staff who were aged under 20 when working at McDonald’s.
“Clients have described experiences of discrimination, homophobia, racism, ableism, and harassment,” the legal firm said in a press release, saying more than 450 restaurants were involved.
It follows a BBC investigation in July 2023 highlighting the testimonies of those affected.
The fast-food chain is one of Britain’s largest employers with around 170,000 staff, many of whom are young workers, including teenagers.
“Any incident of misconduct and harassment is unacceptable and subject to rapid and thorough investigation and action,” a McDonald’s spokesperson said Tuesday.
The fast-food giant said it had set up an online system allowing “employees in all company-owned and franchised restaurants the opportunity to speak up confidentially”.
Alistair Macrow, chief executive of McDonald’s UK and Ireland, told a parliamentary committee in November 2023 that he was “absolutely determined to root out any of these behaviours”.
McDonald’s UK opened a specialist unit to investigate the allegations but unions told the same parliamentary committee it had not improved the situation.
Macrow is set to face questions from British MPs on Tuesday over the separate issue of employment rights.
“I’ve had to deal with homophobic comments from managers and crew members,” said a 19-year-old unnamed employee quoted in Leigh Day’s statement.
“My manager said if I can’t deal with it, I should just leave the job,” he added.
The law firm said another young worker claimed to have been repeatedly pestered for sex, and another claim involved a manager touching young staff inappropriately during shifts.
McDonald’s UK faced harassment claims in 2019 when the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union alleged that more than 1,000 female employees had been victims of sexual harassment and abuse.
US McDonald’s rolls back some of its diversity practices
By AFP
January 7, 2025
McDonald's is the latest US organization to rethink its diversity practices following a Supreme Court ruling that reversed affirmitive action in university admissions - Copyright AFP/File JIM WATSON
McDonald’s said Monday it will roll back some of its diversity practices, becoming the latest US organization to rethink its policies following a Supreme Court ruling that ended affirmative action in university admissions.
The fast-food giant’s announced changes include no longer asking suppliers to commit to certain diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) targets, withdrawing from external surveys that gauge corporate diversity, and changing the name of its diversity committee.
“We are retiring Supply Chain’s Mutual Commitment to DEI pledge in favor of a more integrated discussion with suppliers about inclusion as it relates to business performance,” the fast-food giant said in a statement.
It also announced an end to “setting aspirational representation goals and instead keeping our focus on continuing to embed inclusion practices that grow our business into our everyday process and operations.”
It will also pause external surveys “to focus on the work we are doing internally to grow the business.”
Its diversity team will be renamed the Global Inclusion Team, which it deemed a change “more fitting for McDonald’s in light of our inclusion value and better aligns with this team’s work”.
But it said “McDonald’s position and our commitment to inclusion is steadfast.
“Since our founding, we’ve prided ourselves on understanding that the foundation of our business is people. As (former CEO) Fred Turner said, ‘We’re a people business, and never forget it,'” it said.
In June 2023, the conservative-majority Supreme Court put an end to affirmative action in university admissions, reversing one of the major gains of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
Since then, businesses and institutions have been rethinking programs to bolster minority groups as support for progressive policies has eroded.
DEI policies now face increasing attack in US corporate and government spheres, with backers of the initiatives — which seek to correct bias in US workplaces — on the defense even more after Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election.
McDonald’s announcement comes in the wake of similar moves by a string of prestige brands — from Ford, John Deere and Lowe’s to Harley-Davidson and Jack Daniel’s — reflecting a backlash against so-called political correctness in American public life.
By AFP
January 7, 2025
McDonald's is the latest US organization to rethink its diversity practices following a Supreme Court ruling that reversed affirmitive action in university admissions - Copyright AFP/File JIM WATSON
McDonald’s said Monday it will roll back some of its diversity practices, becoming the latest US organization to rethink its policies following a Supreme Court ruling that ended affirmative action in university admissions.
The fast-food giant’s announced changes include no longer asking suppliers to commit to certain diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) targets, withdrawing from external surveys that gauge corporate diversity, and changing the name of its diversity committee.
“We are retiring Supply Chain’s Mutual Commitment to DEI pledge in favor of a more integrated discussion with suppliers about inclusion as it relates to business performance,” the fast-food giant said in a statement.
It also announced an end to “setting aspirational representation goals and instead keeping our focus on continuing to embed inclusion practices that grow our business into our everyday process and operations.”
It will also pause external surveys “to focus on the work we are doing internally to grow the business.”
Its diversity team will be renamed the Global Inclusion Team, which it deemed a change “more fitting for McDonald’s in light of our inclusion value and better aligns with this team’s work”.
But it said “McDonald’s position and our commitment to inclusion is steadfast.
“Since our founding, we’ve prided ourselves on understanding that the foundation of our business is people. As (former CEO) Fred Turner said, ‘We’re a people business, and never forget it,'” it said.
In June 2023, the conservative-majority Supreme Court put an end to affirmative action in university admissions, reversing one of the major gains of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
Since then, businesses and institutions have been rethinking programs to bolster minority groups as support for progressive policies has eroded.
DEI policies now face increasing attack in US corporate and government spheres, with backers of the initiatives — which seek to correct bias in US workplaces — on the defense even more after Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election.
McDonald’s announcement comes in the wake of similar moves by a string of prestige brands — from Ford, John Deere and Lowe’s to Harley-Davidson and Jack Daniel’s — reflecting a backlash against so-called political correctness in American public life.
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