Over 100 members of staff, past and present, have come forward alleging sexual abuse, harassment, racism and bullying against managers in the ubiquitous food giant this month.

Victims as young as 16 have come forward with shocking stories of the kind of conduct they have had to deal with. The victim describes her story: ‘Every shift I worked, there would be at least a comment being made, or I’d be brushed, a hand brushed across me, or it would be a more severe thing, like having my bum grabbed, hips grabbed’. Other members of staff complained of sexual groping, unsolicited sexual images and other alarming conduct.

Even on the unsolicited side, staff members in Northern Ireland describe situations where sexual relations between colleagues lead to an outbreak of gonorrhea.

Other complaints describe racist comments and jokes, with one Pakistani member of staff being referred to as a terrorist.

A statement made by Sarah Woolley, general secretary of The Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union, in the wake of over 1,000 complaints being made in 2019, said ‘this is not a few bad apples’. Which seems to have been borne out over the following years.

A hotline, along with a confidential email address mcdonalds@equalityhumanrights.com, has been established to help support the victims of the abuse described above.

Should you or someone you know have experienced any of the issues listed here, please contact one of our team who will be able to assist you.