‘Sex for shifts’ at McDonald’s highlights a wider issue

Fresh allegations of sexual harassment at McDonald’s, including claims that a manager requested “sex for shifts,” have renewed calls for action to protect young workers…

The continuing investigation by the BBC into the fast-food giant uncovered a workplace where younger employees, some still in their teens, are subjected to sexual harassment and discrimination.

Today BBC News reported ‘McDonald’s workers have said they are still facing sexual abuse and harassment, a year after the boss promised to clean up behaviour at the fast-food chain’ adding ‘One 19-year-old worker, Matt, told the BBC some of his colleagues were scared of going into work, and that managers would “touch up” other members of staff…’

As both political and public pressure grows, McDonald’s CEO, Alistair Macrow, today told the Government’s Business and Trade Committee that he was committed to investigating the allegations, he said these cases… “are abhorrent, unacceptable, and there is no place for them in McDonald’s”.

But the damage has been done for many victims, some of whom said they felt silenced or dismissed when they asked for help. Now, over 700 junior McDonald’s employees have joined legal action against the firm.

Ruth Sparkes, co-founder of the harassment reporting platform SaferSpace:

“Sex for shifts is beyond shocking; it exploits the vulnerability of young workers on zero hours contracts and is a total breach of trust.”

A 2020 survey by the UK Government Equalities Office revealed that younger workers aged 18 to 24 were the most likely to experience sexual harassment in the workplace. Sparkes added: “The power imbalance, together with a lack of awareness about their rights, often leaves younger employees as easy targets for exploitation.”   

While it’s McDonald’s in the ‘hot seat’ this week, the issues highlighted by the BBC are widespread. Industries that rely heavily on younger workers have repeatedly failed to address sexual harassment.

While the new Worker Protection Act requires employers to prevent sexual harassment, Sparkes believes more is needed: “A law on paper isn’t going to protect young workers if there are no mechanism to enforce it.

“Young workers should have transparent, accessible pathways to report harassment without fear of retaliation, and employers should demonstrate that they take these complaints seriously, with visible consequences.”

“This should be a wake-up call for every employer. Young people entering the workforce deserve more than just a ‘pay check’, they deserve respect and safety. It’s not only about McDonald’s, or Harrods, or all the other high-profile employers who’ve been shown as lacking when it comes to sexual harassment,” Sparkes added. “It’s about making sure that no young person, in any workplace, college, or university, suffers abuse as part of their every day life.”

Claims published by BBC News today include: A worker quit her job in the West Midlands at the end of 2023, after she says managers inappropriately touched her and customers sexually harassed her. When she raised it, she says she was told to “suck it up”.

A 16-year-old current employee based in the West Midlands says he was bullied, shouted at and sworn at by managers and a female worker, 20, says a male manager sent her topless pictures. She left her McDonald’s branch in the East of England in August.

“These claims all relate to events after November 2023, when the boss of McDonald’s UK, Alistair Macrow first appeared in front of parliament’s Business and Trade Committee.” – BBC News