McDonald’s: Zero-hour culture fuels sexual harassment claims

In 2023, allegations of sexual harassment at the fast-food giant were brought to light. Emma Cocker argues that insecure employment is a factor in power imbalances, which can create a toxic work culture.

McDonald’s, celebrating its 50th anniversary of operation in the UK announced plans to open more than 200 new restaurants over the next four-year period. The company is still facing problems with its 1,450 UK outlets, including allegations of harassment, and abuse.

A BBC investigation in July 2023 into the working conditions of McDonald’s revealed what they called “a toxic culture” of sexual assaults, harassments, racisms and bullyings. This was after more than 100 employees at UK retail outlets made allegations. BBC reported that workers as young as 17 had been abused, harassed, groped, and regularly harassed.

The BBC investigation was prompted after whistleblowers revealed that McDonald’s had signed a legally-binding agreement in February 2023 with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, in which they pledged to protect their staff from sexual harassment.

EHRC had reached an agreement in response to staff concerns regarding the handling of sexual misconduct complaints in their UK restaurants. McDonald’s acknowledged that it had “fallen below” its standards and “deeply apologized”, and that all staff deserved a workplace that was safe, respectful, and inclusive.

Alistair Macrow was the CEO of McDonald’s UK & Ireland when he appeared in front of MPs on the Business and Trade Select Committee last month. He informed them that 29 employees had been fired over the last year due to allegations of sexual harassment.

Liam Byrne, MP and chair of the Business and Trade Select Committee asked Macrow whether McDonald’s was “basically a prey’s paradise“. Macrow stated that the BBC’s allegations were “absurd, unacceptable and there is absolutely no place for these bad actors in McDonald’s”. The company was also determined to create an environment where “bad actors have nowhere to hide”.

Macrow has repeatedly pledged that it will take appropriate actions to improve the working conditions and to clean up the behaviour. However, the situation appears to not have improved. The EHRC received 300 harassment reports since its initial investigation was completed. More than 700 employees have taken legal action against McDonald’s for failing to protect them.

It is clear that employers are responsible for their employees. The Equality Act 2010 gives employers a duty to protect their staff against discrimination and harassment. This applies whether the employees are full-time or part-time workers and whether they work on a casual, full-time or part-time basis.

BBC reports that 89% of McDonald’s UK’s 170,000 workers are on zero-hours contract in January 2025. This is despite the announcement made by the company in 2017 to offer workers the option of a fixed or flexible contract with minimum guaranteed hours. Minimum hours contracts included 30 hours minimum, 16 hours minimum, or 4 hours minimum per week. However, most workers chose flexibility.

Insecure employment

McDonald’s employees, like many other zero-hours workers face insecurity in their employment, and are often reluctant to complain for fear of being subjected to adverse treatment. The true extent of harassment and discrimination suffered by McDonald’s employees may therefore be higher than the current figures indicate.

By their nature, zero-hours contracts create a power imbalance where the employer has a significant advantage over the employee. Staff have no control over their schedule or income without a guarantee of the number or schedule of hours.

Businesses can be exposed to serious liabilities due to the abuses that result from the power imbalance in zero-hours work relationships. Employers must be aware of the potential for discrimination and workplace harassment and what could happen if they do not address these issues. McDonald’s’s ongoing problems and its abject failure to create a harassment-free, safe environment has generated bad publicity that will affect profits.

Employment Rights Bill, a bill introduced by the UK government to end “exploitative zero-hours contracts”, aims at ensuring that they are no longer in use. The bill contains measures that are intended to give workers greater predictability and security: a guarantee of hours where the number offered is based on the hours worked during a reference time period (which will be approximately 12 weeks), a reasonable notice requirement for shifts and payment of any shifts cancelled at short notice.

These changes may not reduce discrimination or harassment directly, but they can help eliminate the fear and insecurity of zero-hours employees. McDonald’s has a lot of work to do in order to create a workplace free of discrimination and harassing. They also need public opinion changed. The company’s handling of the increasing number of complaints against it will be closely scrutinised.

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