Newly strengthened measures at McDonald’s UK are raising serious questions about workplace culture and whether the fast-food giant is ready to address the deep-seated issues that have repeatedly placed its staff at risk of abuse.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has extended and enhanced its legal agreement with McDonald’s, demanding refreshed manager training, external audits of complaints handling and new safeguarding protocols.
It follows repeated reports that the company still fails to protect vulnerable young workers from sexual harassment and misconduct.
Culture ‘Tolerated Misconduct’
In the UK, McDonald’s employs large numbers of young workers, many of whom are under 20 and working part-time or in their first job. This demographic has been central to several investigations into harassment and abuse. One former employee told the BBC that the company had “looked at what they can possibly do, in terms of what will sound promising enough, but not actually what will bring change.”
She added: “It’s a check box for them to tick, like just with the training. It’s something on a to-do list and they think they’ll do it and it’ll go away, but it just won’t happen.”
These remarks underline a deeper concern, say observers: that the company’s systems may pay lip service to safeguarding while failing to challenge the power imbalances on the shop floor, especially at franchise-run restaurants where oversight may be weaker. The law firm Leigh Day has reported that more than 450 McDonald’s restaurants are implicated in legal claims regarding harassment, discrimination and bullying.
The Corporate-Franchise Gap
One of the pivotal issues is the disconnect between McDonald’s corporate safeguards and the realities at individual restaurants, many of which are independently run by franchisees. Employment lawyer Kiran Daurka told the BBC: “We’ve seen how issues of sexual harassment can fall between the gaps.” She added: “I think we can assume that the equality watchdog wouldn’t be taking this action if things were ok at McDonald’s.”
That observation strikes at the heart of cultural reform. If franchise restaurants operate under looser supervision, young staff may face elevated risks, especially when workplace dynamics, shift pressures and hierarchy combine in environments where training and escalation routes are weak or unclear.
New Measures
Under the revised agreement, McDonald’s has committed to a series of new safeguards: updated training for managers to cover grooming of young and/or vulnerable workers and misuse of social media; external audits of complaints handling; and the design and rollout of a new safeguarding plan developed with external experts.
Baroness Kishwer Falkner, chairwoman of the EHRC, said: “After serious allegations were raised, we decided we needed to update the action plan with stronger actions that were more specific to the way McDonald’s operates.” She added: “Once completed, the actions that make up this legal agreement will ensure that there is zero tolerance for harassment at McDonald’s and there are clear routes to report and resolve complaints if it does occur.”
These measures, if properly implemented and monitored, have potential to raise standards significantly. They reflect a broader shift in attention from simply issuing statements to requiring structured, external assurance and oversight.
Enough to Change Culture?
Despite the reinforced framework, scepticism remains among workers and advocates who say that until the daily reality of harassment stops, the culture will not have changed. The former employee cited above concluded that the company lacked “any personal desire to make the change. I don’t think they care enough.”
A union voice added a sharper tone. Bakers Union national president Ian Hodson said: “Workers should be entitled to go work without being sexually harassed, and employers should have a duty to act.”
The true test for McDonald’s and its franchise network will not be the issuance of policies but whether young crew members feel safe, supported and able to speak up. It means tracking whether complaints are investigated, whether managers are held accountable and whether the power dynamics in franchise kitchens are genuinely addressed.
What Does It Mean for Wellbeing?
From a wellbeing perspective, experts say it raises vital lessons for organisations across sectors that rely heavily on younger, less-experienced workers and include franchise or decentralised operations. Key takeaways include:
- Training alone is not enough. It must be embedded, revisited and linked to daily operations and culture.
- Clear accountability and oversight are critical where franchise models create distance between central policy and local practice.
- Reporting mechanisms must feel accessible and trusted, especially for younger workers who may fear retaliation or feel uncertain about their rights.
- Leaders must monitor culture not just via surveys but by tracking outcomes: number and type of complaints, how they are resolved and what structural changes follow.
- External assurance (audits, third-party reviews) adds credibility and helps ensure that commitments are more than headlines.
McDonald’s new agreement with the EHRC signals a move towards stronger safeguards and recognises that previous efforts did not go far enough. The question now is whether it’s the start of cultural change or simply a reputational repair exercise.