Over 700 McDonald's Workers Launch Legal Action Over Harassment Allegations

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More than 700 workers from McDonald's in the UK are participating in a legal action against the fast-food giant, citing widespread allegations of discrimination, homophobia, and sexual harassment across its restaurants. The claims involve over 450 McDonald's outlets and follow an investigation conducted by the BBC a year ago, which reported ongoing issues with workplace harassment despite assurances from McDonald's to address them.

The workers, including former and current employees as young as 19, have retained the services of law firm Leigh Day to represent them. Complaints include homophobic remarks from managers, bullying based on disabilities, and sexual harassment in the workplace. One 19-year-old employee reported repeated homophobic slurs and stated that their manager suggested they leave the job if they couldn’t handle the comments.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has noted a spike in harassment complaints since the BBC's initial findings, with around 300 incidents reported. The EHRC is now increasing its intervention efforts in light of the serious allegations.

In advance of an appearance before UK parliamentary officials, McDonald’s issued a statement expressing their commitment to employee safety and announcing a series of measures introduced over the past year to combat harassment. This includes the hiring of a head of safeguarding and the establishment of a digital whistleblowing channel.

While McDonald’s claims that their internal surveys suggest employees feel more comfortable reporting issues, they acknowledge the need for ongoing diligence to maintain a safe working environment.

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