By Dr. Tim Sandle
SCIENCE EDITOR
DIGITAL JOURNAL
April 23, 2026
People are enjoying fast food in a food court. Image by Tim Sandle
Young people across the UK are set to benefit after McDonald’s becomes the latest major employer to support the Government’s Youth Guarantee and launches the biggest work experience programme in the country. Yet beneath the surface, more troubling events are occurring within the burger giant.
In the UK, McDonald’s is under continuing scrutiny over sexism, sexual harassment, bullying and wider workplace abuse, following major BBC investigations in 2023 and again in 2025 that included testimony from more than 100 current and former workers—many aged 16–19—describing routine groping, harassment, racist abuse and intimidation in restaurants, largely run by franchisees.
McDonald’s is subject to a legally binding agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), first signed in February 2023 and extended in November 2025 due to further allegations and concerns.
As of April 2026, the EHRC has confirmed it is still monitoring McDonald’s under an extended legally binding agreement, after “further issues came to light,” while over 700 current and former staff are pursuing legal action alleging the company failed to protect a young and vulnerable workforce; although McDonald’s says complaints have reduced and new safeguarding measures are in place, the regulator and trade unions say serious concerns remain unresolved.
April 23, 2026
People are enjoying fast food in a food court. Image by Tim Sandle
Young people across the UK are set to benefit after McDonald’s becomes the latest major employer to support the Government’s Youth Guarantee and launches the biggest work experience programme in the country. Yet beneath the surface, more troubling events are occurring within the burger giant.
In the UK, McDonald’s is under continuing scrutiny over sexism, sexual harassment, bullying and wider workplace abuse, following major BBC investigations in 2023 and again in 2025 that included testimony from more than 100 current and former workers—many aged 16–19—describing routine groping, harassment, racist abuse and intimidation in restaurants, largely run by franchisees.
McDonald’s is subject to a legally binding agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), first signed in February 2023 and extended in November 2025 due to further allegations and concerns.
As of April 2026, the EHRC has confirmed it is still monitoring McDonald’s under an extended legally binding agreement, after “further issues came to light,” while over 700 current and former staff are pursuing legal action alleging the company failed to protect a young and vulnerable workforce; although McDonald’s says complaints have reduced and new safeguarding measures are in place, the regulator and trade unions say serious concerns remain unresolved.
Legal action
As a consequence, more than 700 current and former McDonald’s employees—many of whom were teenagers at the time of the alleged incidents—are pursuing group legal claims against McDonald’s UK, represented by law firm Leigh Day.
The claims allege:Systemic failure to prevent sexual harassment, sexual assault, racism and bullying, and breaches of the Equality Act 2010, including failure to provide a safe working environment.
The cases cover hundreds of franchise restaurants across the UK, with allegations spanning several years.
Claimants argue McDonald’s knew or should have known of risks to young workers and failed to take adequate preventative steps.
While McDonald’s corporate entity is party to the EHRC agreement, individual franchise owners can still face separate legal and regulatory action.
The 700 plus current and former McDonald’s UK workers bringing claims—mostly represented by the legal firm Leigh Day—are not pursuing a single fixed payout figure. Instead, they are seeking individualised compensation, assessed case‑by‑case by employment tribunals or courts, reflecting the harm suffered by each claimant.
Individual cases
Alongside the group action, individual employment tribunal claims are being brought by workers alleging:Sexual harassment and discrimination
Victimisation for raising complaints
Constructive unfair dismissal after reporting abuse
Some cases involve criminal allegations (e.g. assault), which are handled separately by police, but form part of the broader civil claims about unsafe workplaces.
Alleged claims include:A worker quit her job in the West Midlands at the end of 2023, after she says managers inappropriately touched her and customers sexually harassed her. When she raised it, she says she was told to “suck it up”.
A 16-year-old current employee based in the West Midlands says he was bullied, shouted at and sworn at by managers.
A female worker, 20, says a male manager sent her topless pictures. She left her McDonald’s branch in the East of England in August.
Parliamentary scrutiny
As well as the legal events, the UK parliament has also taken an interest in the cases. As such, McDonald’s UK leadership has been:Summoned before parliamentary select committees to explain safeguarding failures
Publicly criticised by unions and the EHRC for minimising or “drawing a line under” past abuse while investigations and claims continue
This scrutiny increases the likelihood of future regulatory or legal escalation if reforms are judged ineffective.
McDonald’s response
The boss of McDonald’s UK and Ireland – Lauren Schultz – has said she “doesn’t want to talk about the past” when asked about allegations of abuse at the fast-food chain. Although she did add that what had happened in recent years was “unacceptable” but said “we have drawn a line under it”, according to BBC News.
No comments:
Post a Comment