More McDonalds staff come forward to claim they were sexually harassed

Another 100 McDonald’s staff come forward to claim they were groped, sexually harassed and even witnessed some managers taking COCAINE at the fast food giant

• The fast-food giant has one of the youngest work forces in the whole country 
• Are you a victim of assault, racism or bullying? Send your story and pictures to [email protected] 

McDonald’s has come under further pressure this morning with 100 more former and current staff members coming forward claiming they were groped, sexually harassed and even witnessed managers taking cocaine while working.

Workers, some as young as 17, slammed the ‘toxic’ culture at the fast-food chain, voicing allegations of racism, homophobia and abuses of power.   

The probe carried out by the BBC has forced the UK equality watchdog to launch a new email hotline after becoming ‘concerned’ by the findings.

Emily, who worked in a branch of McDonald’s in the North West when she was 17,  told the broadcaster: ‘The environment was really toxic – I was constantly being asked inappropriate things by other, male, crew members.

‘At one point a manager groped me, and hit me on the bottom, and then laughed.’

Are you a victim of assault, racism or bullying? Share your story by emailing [email protected]

A further 100 McDonald’s staff have come forward today, with some as young as 17 saying they have been harassed regularly 

Alistair Macrow, McDonald’s boss in the UK, issued an apology after the BBC found that more than 100 current and former staff at the fast food chain alleged they had been harassed

‘I didn’t know who to go to,’ she added.’ Everyone would have stuck up for the manager, so there was no one I could report to.’

Caspar, who worked at McDonald’s in the West of England, alleged that a manager tried to kiss him when he was 17. He ‘backed away’ but the manager reportedly put his hand on the back of Caspar’s head and kissed him ‘on the lips’.

Other claims included managers dealing drugs to employees, managers smoking cannabis and taking cocaine in offices while at work and even one manager threatening a staffer with a knife.

One recalled an older female manager forcing a younger worker’s hand down her trousers and smacking his bum, while others said punching and unwanted physical contact was passed off as ‘banter’.

Name calling and slurs was also said to be common place. 

The allegations were branded ‘deeply concerning’ by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last night, with other government officials and MPs also expressing their anger.

Caroline Nokes, chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee, said the claims were ‘horrific’ and were about abuses of power where ‘older managers exploiting what is, at McDonald’s, a very young workforce’.

Former worker from a Berkshire franchise Shelby, 16, told the BBC she thought that McDonald’s ‘don’t really think about their staff at all’

Darren Jones, a Labour MP and chairman of the Commons business committee, said the claims were ‘some of the most appalling’ he had seen.

He added that McDonald’s should terminate franchise deals if branches were not following labour law correctly. 

Around 200 employees or former employees have now come forward with allegations.

Yesterday one teenage employee in Cheshire alleged that a colleague 20 years her senior called her a racial slur word, asked to show her his genitals and said he wanted to make a ‘black and white’ baby with her.

Meanwhile it was reported that a manager at a branch in Hampshire suggested a 16-year-old male worker perform sexual acts in exchange for vapes.

Out of the initial 100 allegations the BBC investigated, the broadcaster said 31 related to sexual assault and 78 related to sexual assault. It also heard 18 allegations of racism and six of homophobia.

A current worker in Nottingham alleged she was seen as ‘fresh meat’ by male colleagues, while others claim managers forced them to wear uniforms that were too tight.

One former worker, Emily, 22, told the BBC: ‘It’s the expectation that if you work at McDonald’s, you will be harassed.’

She left her branch in Brighton last year after a male colleague in his 60s continually stroked her hair in a sexual manner, making her feel uncomfortable.

McDonald’s has been accused of creating a toxic work culture of sexual assault, harassment, racism and bullying, with more than 100 current and recent UK staff speaking out. Pictured: General view of a McDonald’s store 

Lucy, 22, who previously worked in Norwich added: ‘There is a saying at McDonald’s, ‘tits on tills’ – boys in the kitchen, girls on the counter. The idea is to put attractive people at the front.’

McDonald’s employs more than 170,000 people in the UK across 1,450 restaurants. It has one of the country’s youngest workforces with 75 per cent of its employees being between 16 and 25 years old.

Those who spoke out said that more often than not senior managers failed to act after workers made complaints about behaviour.

One worker told the BBC: ‘They don’t really think about their staff at all.’

Another 16-year-old worker called Shelby, who left a Berkshire restaurant last year, claimed older male colleagues would ‘grope’ female staff.

READ MORE: Fast-food giant is forced to sign contract with equality watchdog after ‘more than 1,000 complaints’ of workplace sexual harassment in UK branches

She added: ‘Every shift I worked, there would be at least a comment being made, or I’d be brushed, a hand brushed across me, or it would be a more severe thing, like having my bum grabbed, hips grabbed.’

Speaking on BBC Breakfast yesterday, Shelby explained the affect the alleged behaviour had on her wellbeing.

She said: ‘It really started to affect me especially towards the end of me working there.

‘I was calling in sick for pretty much all my shifts and then I left suddenly without giving them notice and I never heard back from them. I did send an email explaining why I left but they never got back to me.’

Chinyere, 17, who worked at a branch in Cheshire, told reporters she was sexually and racially harassed by a much older male colleague. She raised the concerns with a female employee who allegedly told her to ignore it and get back to work. 

But after months of harassment, her stepfather wrote to the franchise, the corporate headquarters and the police, resulting in the man being fired.

The young employee believes nothing would have been done if her family did not intervene.

One worker in Oxfordshire, originally from India, claimed staff spoke in ‘gibberish’ to intimate her while another crew member called a colleague from Pakistan a terrorist.

At one branch in Northern Ireland an outbreak of gonorrhoea is said to have broken out where sexual relationships between team members happened regularly.

The complaints come just months after the chain signed a legal agreement with the equality watchdog amid concerns over how it handled sexual harassment complaints made by UK staff.

It made the legally binding agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in February, meaning the restaurant group needed to commit to a number of measures to better protect workers.

At the time, it was unknown the true scale of sexual harassment complaints at McDonalds, but the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) claimed in 2019 that more than 1,000 UK cases have been reported.

The complaints come just months after the chain signed a legal agreement with the equality watchdog amid concerns over how it handled sexual harassment complaints made by UK staff.

It made the legally binding agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in February, meaning the restaurant group needed to commit to a number of measures to better protect workers.

At the time, it was unknown the true scale of sexual harassment complaints at McDonalds, but the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) claimed in 2019 that more than 1,000 UK cases have been reported.

Alistair Macrow, chief executive of McDonald’s UK & Ireland, said yesterday there was ‘no placement for harassment, abuse or discrimination’ at the company.

He apologised for the claims and admitted there were ‘clearly instances’ where the company had ‘fallen short’.

Mr Macrow added: ‘In February this year McDonald’s UK committed with the Equalities and Human Rights Commission to a zero-tolerance approach to any kind of harassment. This is supported by a companywide programme of training, the roll out of new policies and strict reporting processes, all aimed at offering the highest possible level of workplace protection for all our employees.

‘Already over 2,000 of our managers have completed full awareness training and nearly all of our restaurant teams are now working within these new protections aimed at creating a safe and respectful workplace.

‘All of this is backed by McDonald’s Global Standards, a set of stringent and non-negotiable guardrails to ensure safe and respectful workplaces, which we expect of all colleagues and Franchisees across the world.’

Baroness Kishwer Falkner, chairwoman of the EHRC, said: ‘There should be zero tolerance of sexual harassment in every organisation. I’m concerned at these new reports of harassment at McDonald’s, where we have an existing legal agreement in place to ensure their restaurants are safe places to work.

‘McDonald’s have committed to make improvements to set an example for others to follow, in the hospitality industry and elsewhere.

‘Every employer, no matter how big or small, is responsible for protecting its workforce. We’re determined to continue to crack down on illegal harassment at places of work.’

Anyone who is concerned about incidents of harassment in McDonald’s can report it to [email protected].

MailOnline has contacted McDonald’s over the new claims.  

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