Based on a BBC investigation, it seems there's quite a toxic culture at several McDonald's chains in the UK.
Specifically, there was an outbreak of gonorrhea among the staff at a branch in Northern Ireland, "where sexual relationships between staff members were commonplace."
From Insider:
The five-month-long BBC investigation painted a picture of a toxic work culture at the company. The BBC reported that workers, some of them teenagers in their first jobs, said they were being groped and harassed regularly.
One allegation involved a manager in Hampshire suggesting a 16-year-old male worker perform sexual acts in exchange for vapes. The report alleged that another manager at a Cheshire branch tried to pressure a 16-year-old female worker into having sex.
According to the report, another former worker said she was 17 when a senior manager at a Plymouth location choked her and grabbed her butt.
Other allegations involved racism and homophobia. Workers told the broadcaster that, often, managers were responsible for the assaults and harassment, and senior managers often failed to act on complaints.
In a statement previously shared with Insider, the CEO of McDonald's UK & Ireland, Alistair Macrow, said that the company has a "zero-tolerance approach to any kind of harassment" and that each employee "deserves to work in a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace."
"There are clearly instances where we have fallen short, and for that, we deeply apologize," he said.
He added that McDonald's UK would investigate all of the allegations.
The US-owned hamburger chain has 1,450 outlets in the UK and employs 170,000 workers, the BBC reported.
Good lord, well, hopefully McDonald's can clean up their stores and create a better work environment.
Working in fast-food is by no means glamorous, but the environment should always be safe, especially considering that many young kids get their first job at places like these.
