Can McDonald’s quash worker harassment?
Just in time for summer hiring, the company that boasts of being America’s “best first job” is facing a new round of sexual harassment claims, some involving employees as young as 16.
Seasonal jobs or internships aren’t exempt from the hazards that led to the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. In fact, young employees with little experience or power can be easy targets for harassment and abuse. Fewer teens seek jobs now than in decades past, but one-third of 16- to 19-year-olds still work. Many enter the labor market as the school year winds down.
Many of these young people — 2 million of an estimated 6.2 million
teens working in summer 2017, according to the Pew Research Center — take hotel and food service jobs. Restaurants have become notorious for harassment fueled by close quarters, late hours and other factors. The Wall Street Journal reported last year that some parents were discouraging their teen girls from seeking restaurant work, and that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed suits alleging sexual harassment against not only fast-food giants but also establishments from mom-and-pop restaurants to ice-cream parlors.
New complaints filed last month against Chicago-based McDonald’s allege that employees were subjected to groping, indecent exposure, propositions for sex and lewd comments by supervisors across 20 cities. Some workers say they were ignored, mocked or faced retaliation when they sought help.
Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth had already raised concerns with McDonald’s about its employees’ sexual harassment complaints. CEO Steve Easterbrook says the company was strengthening its harassment policies and reporting methods. It has trained franchise operators and general managers and plans additional training for front-line workers. It will also establish a hotline for reporting incidents anonymously.
We’ve called upon institutions, including big business, to change their cultures, firmly support survivors of sexual harassment and abuse, and encourage whistleblowers. #MeToo has amplified the voices of individual survivors. In all workplaces, bosses have to expand and modernize their systems and expectations — decisively.
McDonald’s is far from alone in grappling with this issue. The brands behind most of America’s favorite drive-thrus have been accused of similar issues in complaints and lawsuits. Those same companies often struggle to fill positions. McDonald’s needs to hire 250,000 workers this summer. Building an environment where women, young people and employees of all types feel safe and supported should be a competitive advantage.
It’s easy to imagine McDonald’s, a company built on operational and marketing excellence, leading the conversation on these issues, with smart policy and catchy sharing of ideas. Or will one of its competitors step up instead?