News

McDonald's faces sex harassment allegations for 20 US locations

May 22, 2019

The American Civil Liberties Union and two other labor and legal groups filed 25 lawsuits and regulatory charges against McDonald's Corp this week alleging that it condoned sexual harassment in the workplace and retaliated against employees who called attention to the alleged incidents, according to Reuters.

The charges, also filed with participation by Fight for $15, and the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund, said incidents involved groping, indecent exposure, sexual propositions and lewd comments at 20 U.S. locations of the fast food chain, which has more than 14,000 locations in the United States with some 850,000 workers.

McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook wrote letters this week to Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth and "Top Chef" host Padma Lakshmi, who supports the workers' cause, to say the brand has improved its harassment policies, trained most franchise owners, will train frontline employees and create a complaint hotline, according to Reuters.

"McDonald's is sending a clear message that we are committed to creating and sustaining a culture of trust where employees feel safe, valued and respected," Easterbrook said in the letters.

In the last three years, McDonald's was named in more than 50 similar cases, according to the ACLU. The most recent cases include charges filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Reuters said. When asked for further comment regarding the actions this week, a McDonald's spokeswoman said the brand would not comment "on the filings, as they are ongoing."

However, the brand did send a copy of the aforementioned letter to Lakshmi. 

McDonald's has faced more than 50 such charges and lawsuits in the last three years, the ACLU said. Last September, McDonald's workers in 10 cities staged a one-day strike to protest alleged sexual harassment.