Thu, 08 Jan 2026

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 Unions accuse McDonald's of 'repeated harassment' against 'mostly teenage' staff

It follows a BBC investigation three years ago which exposed a toxic culture at the fast-food chain.
A group of trade unions has filed a complaint against McDonald's, alleging that the fast-food chain has failed to address widespread sexual harassment and abuse in its UK restaurants and franchises. The complaint, lodged with the UK National Contact Point (NCP), claims that workers as young as 17 have been groped and harassed, and that managers have consistently failed to stop such behavior. The NCP has decided to offer mediation between McDonald's and the trade unions after conducting an initial assessment of the complaint. The trade unions, including the Bakers Union and the TUC, stated that their complaint was prompted by a BBC investigation last year which exposed a toxic culture at McDonald's. Since then, more than 160 people have come forward with allegations of harassment, while over 700 current and former junior employees are taking legal action against the company. The NCP has not made any findings against McDonald's, but the mediation offer is seen as a significant step in addressing the allegations. Ian Hodson, president of the Bakers Union, said that the stories exposed by the BBC investigation were "horrific" and that workers' voices need to be heard. Luise Schroter, senior policy officer at the Corporate Justice Coalition, added that harassment at McDonald's "must end". McDonald's has apologized for past incidents and set up a new unit to deal with complaints, but critics say more needs to be done to address the systemic abuse of workers. The company has agreed to bring in new sexual harassment training for managers, but trade unions are calling for greater action to protect staff from abuse.
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