Employment
Emma Cocker
January 2025
Senior Associate Emma Cocker comments on the legal action facing McDonald’s over allegations of widespread harassment and discrimination, and discusses employers’ obligations to protect their staff and workplace.
Emma’s comments were published in Business Matters Magazine, 7 January 2025, and can be found here.
“All employers have duties to protect their staff against discrimination and harassment in the workplace – obligations which apply regardless of whether people are engaged on a full-time, part-time or zero hours basis.
“However, with most McDonald’s workers being engaged on a zero hours basis, individuals will be acutely aware of their employment insecurity. They are also likely fearful of being subjected to detrimental treatment for raising complaints. The abuse which arises from the imbalance of power inherent in these types of workplace relationships can lead to significant liability for businesses, of which employers must be conscious.
“It would appear that McDonald’s still has a long way to go in providing a safe working environment free from discrimination and harassment. How they handle these claims will likely be carefully scrutinised. The longer businesses allow this kind of behaviour to persist, the longer the list of grievances and legal claims they will face.”
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