McDonald's has pledged to protect its UK staff from sexual harassment by committing to introducing a series of new measures including anti-harassment training.
The fast food chain has made a legally binding agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) after concerns were raised over how sexual harassment complaints by UK staff have been handled. While the number of current complaints by UK McDonald's workers is not known, the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) claimed in 2019 that more than 1,000 cases had been reported.
The new measures from McDonald's include communicating a "zero tolerance" approach to sexual harassment, providing anti-harassment training for employees, and improving its policies around responding to complaints. The fast food giant previously said it would require workers worldwide to take part in anti-harassment training in 2021, after it emerged that at least 50 employees globally had filed charges against McDonald's alleging physical and verbal harassment within the previous five years.
