Calay News
This new case adds to a significant wave of revelations about assault and toxic sexual behavior in the British workplace, years after the #MeToo movement.
As reported by the BBC on its website, employees as young as 17 are subjected to groping without consent and harassment almost daily, according to the testimonies collected. The UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has expressed concern at hearing these new allegations of sexual harassment and racism and has established a “red line” for reporting incidents of harassment at McDonald’s, according to a statement issued Tuesday.
McDonald’s had already been accused four years ago, when the Bakery and Food Workers Union (BFAWU, for its acronym in English) claimed that more than 1,000 employees were victims of sexual harassment and mistreatment in the workplace. The Commission emphasizes that McDonald’s has made legal commitments that it must abide by, including its zero-tolerance policy toward sexual harassment, and will conduct undercover investigations into the workplace safety of its employees.
A former employee named Shelby, who was just 16 when she started working at McDonald’s last year, told the BBC she was constantly groped inappropriately by older male employees in the kitchen, one of whom hugged her behind, among other incidents.
Contacted by the BBC, McDonald’s UK and Ireland managing director Alistair Macrow apologized for “clear failures” in protecting employees at work. The chain employs 177,000 people in the UK, most of them young people and even teenagers.
These cases highlight the urgent need to address sexual harassment in the workplace and ensure the protection of employees, especially those who are younger and more vulnerable. Companies must take concrete steps to create safe and respectful work environments and be accountable for implementing and enforcing zero-tolerance policies towards harassment and gender-based violence. It is essential that thorough investigations are carried out and appropriate disciplinary action taken against those responsible for such conduct.
