McDonald’s creates new unit to address sexual harassment of young female employees who claim they were groped and said ‘boobs sell burgers’

McDonald’s has appointed a new unit to tackle sexual harassment and bullying after admitting the company “has come up short”.

CEO Alistair Macrow said the investigative department will be able to refer cases to specialized investigators.

This comes after more than 100 past and current employees at the fast food chain said they had been sexually harassed or assaulted, or faced racism or bullying.

MailOnline said yesterday that the phrase “boobs sell burgers” had been thrown around to justify only “pretty young girls” being hired while the men had to work further down the line.

Girls were labeled “McBike” if they appeared to have dated or had sexual relations with co-workers.

Ilana Cole, 18, said she was “groped” by a manager and saw other young women also being sexually harassed.

Ilana Cole, 18, said she was “groped” by a manager and saw other young women also being sexually harassed

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, 16-year-old Shelby, who left a Berkshire restaurant last year, claimed he had had a similar experience when older male colleagues groped female staff

“The allegations I have heard this week are shocking, both personally and professionally,” said Mr. Macrow, McDonald’s chief executive officer for the UK and Ireland.

“I would like to offer my unreserved apologies and sympathy to anyone who has been affected in any way, and commend their courage in coming forward.”

“We have clearly fallen short in some critical areas, and I am committed to weeding out any behavior that falls short of the high standards of respect, safety and inclusion that we demand of everyone at McDonald’s and which are detailed in our Global Brand Standards.” .”

Mr. Macrow said the unit, led by human resources and legal experts, will remain in place at least until the end of the year.

He said: “Any justified violation of our code of conduct will be punished with the toughest measures up to and including dismissal.”

McDonald’s employs more than 170,000 people in 1,450 restaurants in the UK. The company has one of the youngest workforces in the country: 75 percent of employees are between 16 and 25 years old

He also promised to appoint external experts who can assess what happens when an employee complains about a colleague.

The BBC report alleged that complaints fell on deaf ears and were not escalated.

The outside experts will assess whether McDonald’s way of escalating problems is effective, accessible, and how well employees understand this.

“I will make sure everyone is in no doubt, that I have an unequivocal insistence on zero tolerance for harassment of any kind, and make sure our non-negotiable message of respect and inclusivity is heard clearly throughout our organization,” Mr. Macrow said.

Earlier this week, the BBC reported that a McDonalds employee in her late 30s asked a 17-year-old colleague to show his penis after he called it a racial slur.

Another 17-year-old girl said a senior McDonald’s executive grabbed her bottom and choked her.

In February, McDonald’s signed an agreement with the Equality Authority to improve its handling of allegations of sexual harassment.

In 2019, the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union said it spoke to 1,000 women who reported experiencing sexual harassment and abuse while working in the chain.