Senior Associate Emma Cocker discusses how the prevalence of zero-hours contracts at McDonald’s may have contributed to widespread sexual harassment, in People Management.
Emma’s article was published in People Management, 18 March 2025.
McDonald’s is in expansion mode, with ambitious plans for 200 new restaurants to add to its existing UK network of 1,450 outlets. However, this growth is somewhat overshadowed by persistent allegations of abuse and harassment from those working under the golden arches.
Following allegations by more than 100 current and former staff, a July 2023 BBC investigation into McDonald’s described working conditions as “a toxic culture of sexual assault, harassment, racism and bullying”. According to the BBC, workers as young as 17 had been abused, bullied, groped and harassed.
The investigation came off the back of McDonald’s signing an agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in February 2023 in which it pledged to protect its staff from sexual harassment. The agreement was reached following concerns about how sexual harassment complaints made by McDonald’s staff were handled. McDonald’s accepted that it had “fallen short” and “deeply apologised”, confirming that every employee deserves to work in a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace.
However, the problem persists. Appearing before MPs sitting on the business and trade select committee in January 2025, Alistair Macrow, CEO for McDonald’s UK and Ireland, told the committee that 29 people had been dismissed over the past 12 months as a result of sexual harassment allegations. Macrow was asked by the committee chair, Liam Byrne MP, whether McDonald’s had “basically now become a predator’s paradise”. Macrow said the allegations made by the BBC were “abhorrent, unacceptable and there is no place for them in McDonald’s”. He added that the company was determined there should be “no hiding place for bad actors”.
Despite Macrow’s pledges that appropriate action would be taken, the situation does not appear to have improved. Some 300 incidents have been reported to the EHRC, while 700-plus current and former employees are taking legal action against McDonald’s in which they accuse the firm of failing to protect them.
Employers’ responsibilities towards their staff are clearly outlined in the Equality Act 2010, which specifies that they have a statutory duty to protect all employees from discrimination and harassment, regardless of whether they are full time, part time or employed on a zero-hours basis.
It is widely recognised that zero-hours workers are particularly vulnerable to experiencing discrimination and harassment. Workers engaged in this way face employment insecurity and often fear negative consequences if they complain about working conditions. The BBC states that, as of January 2025, almost 90 per cent of McDonald’s 170,000 UK workforce were on zero-hours contracts. This, along with a predominantly franchise model where local McDonald’s managers are usually responsible for staff recruitment, is likely to be a contributing factor to the present circumstances.
Without a fixed hours guarantee and the right to reasonable notice of shift changes, vulnerable employees can be easily pressurised into complying with employer demands or find themselves facing financial losses they may not be able to bear.
Last October, the government introduced the employment rights bill, which is designed to bring ‘exploitative’ zero-hours contracts to an end. The draft bill includes a right to guaranteed hours, a right to reasonable notice of shifts and a right to payment for shifts cancelled or curtailed at short notice. It is hoped that these changes will go some way to fixing the power imbalance inherent in zero-hours contracts, whereby the employer holds much more power than the employee.
Failure to provide a safe, harassment-free environment has led to significant adverse publicity for McDonald’s, putting a spotlight on the risks facing businesses that allow such behaviour to persist. At least in the case of McDonald’s, there appears to be a direct correlation between the use of zero-hours contracts and complaints of discrimination and harassment. As such, employers need to understand the consequences of failing to address potential claims of discrimination and harassment, and the relationship these claims have with zero-hours contracts.
Moving forwards, people will pay close attention to what McDonald’s does in creating a safe working environment for its employees that is free from discrimination and harassment. In the meantime, much needs to be done to reassure the general public that things have changed, and how the company handles an escalating number of claims will also be closely monitored.
If you would like some advice on meeting your employer obligations regarding discrimination and harassment, please contact a member of the Employment team.
