McDonald’s UK and Ireland chief executive Lauren Schultz has admitted that the company is still receiving complaints from staff years after a major sexual harassment scandal shook the fast-food chain.The controversy first came to light following a BBC investigation in 2023, which exposed allegations of a toxic workplace culture involving sexual harassment, racism, homophobia, bullying and abuse of teenage staff across UK outlets, many operated by franchisees.While Schultz insisted the company has since strengthened its systems, she acknowledged that issues have not completely disappeared.Schultz described McDonald’s current safeguarding framework as “best in class”, saying the company now operates a structured handling unit that categorises complaints based on severity.“We look into them and assess them… and make sure we have the right processes to hold people accountable,” she said.However, she admitted: “I’m not going to be naive and say we have no bad behaviour issues, but they have been dramatically reduced.”She added that many of the problems reflect wider industry challenges, not just McDonald’s alone.The original BBC investigation featured testimony from more than 100 current and former employees, some as young as 17.
Allegations included sexual harassment, inappropriate touching, explicit messages and racist behaviour.One case described a senior manager allegedly choking a teenage worker and groping her, while another involved a manager allegedly pressuring a 16-year-old into sexual acts.Following the revelations, McDonald’s issued an apology and established a dedicated complaints unit.Despite ongoing scrutiny, Schultz said she prefers to focus on the future rather than revisit earlier failures.
“What happened in recent years is unacceptable… but we have drawn a line under it,” she said, adding that she could not comment on past cultural issues.Her remarks have drawn criticism from union representatives, who argue that ignoring past failures risks undermining reform efforts.The comments came as McDonald’s announced its largest UK work experience initiative, offering 2,500 paid five-day placements for people aged 16 to 25.Around a quarter of slots are aimed at young people not in education, employment or training.Schultz rejected claims that the programme was a reputational “rebound campaign”, insisting it had been in development for a year.The McDonald’s UK boss also warned that rising energy and operational costs linked to global tensions could lead to slight price increases.She stressed that value offerings such as meal deals and saver menus would remain unchanged.“There is a predicted slight price increase,” she said, adding that the company continues to balance affordability with rising costs.While McDonald’s says it has strengthened training and accountability systems, critics argue that cultural change cannot be achieved without fully addressing past allegations.
