A governmental body in the UK has offered to mediate after a group of trade unions accused McDonald’s of failing to properly handle harassment allegations across its restaurants and franchises, BBC has reported.
This comes after five unions lodged a complaint with the UK National Contact Point (NCP), an independent body within the Department for Business and Trade staffed by civil servants and external advisers.
The unions allege the fast-food chain breached international labour standards by not adequately addressing sexual harassment nationwide.
The report stated that following an initial review, the NCP said the case should proceed and offered to mediate between the unions and McDonald’s.
The complaint follows a BBC investigation that detailed allegations of a toxic workplace environment at the fast-food chain, with workers reporting harassment.
The trade unions, alongside the Corporate Justice Coalition, said their complaint was filed in response to that reporting.
In its submission, the group points to “further evidence of persistent, deeply rooted gender-based discrimination” and argues this breaches Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines.
It also cites "repeated episodes" of harassment involving McDonald’s staff, "most of them teenagers", and alleges managers did not act to stop the behaviour.
The UK Department for Business and Trade said accepting the complaint does not represent a finding against McDonald’s and does not indicate it believes the company has failed to follow OECD guidelines.
It added that the offer of mediation is voluntary, and if either side refuses to participate, the NCP will move to a further examination of the complaint.
After the BBC report, McDonald’s apologised and set up a new team to handle complaints.
More than 160 people have since contacted the BBC with allegations while the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has received 300 reported incidents of harassment.
In addition, over 700 current and former junior employees are taking legal action against the company.
Commenting on the latest developments, a McDonald’s spokesperson told BBC: “We are aware of the NCP's initial assessment and continue to engage constructively with the OECD process. We are reviewing the information and considering next steps.”
