McDonald’s statement regarding enhanced EHRC agreement (November 2025)

McDonald’s statement regarding enhanced EHRC agreement (November 2025)

Attributable to a McDonald’s spokesperson:

“Over the last three years, alongside our Franchisees, we have embedded an extensive set of robust and far-reaching initiatives, as part of our steadfast commitment to ensuring a safe working environment in McDonald’s restaurants. We welcome the fact that these measures have been formalised within the latest EHRC agreement. This will build on the significant progress we have already made in this space. 

“The agreement incorporates many of our existing measures which have been developed in consultation with leading experts. This includes a range of initiatives, from enhanced training programmes and onboarding practices, to the launch of a new digital Speak Up channel designed with our crew - for our crew, providing a 24/7 channel that reflects the way young people feel most comfortable engaging.

“We are confident the measures we have implemented are working and making a difference to the 148,000 people currently employed by McDonald’s and our Franchisees across the UK today. In the latest anonymous employee survey, 95% of people are aware of ways in which they can speak up.

“We look forward to continuing our work with the EHRC and believe it will help us remain at the forefront of the industry when it comes to creating a safe and respectful workplace culture that embeds safeguarding across every one of our restaurants.”

BACKGROUND 

Detail on McDonald’s Implemented Initiatives and Cultural Plan:

Established a new Investigation Handling Unit – led by dedicated HR and legal experts.

• Launched a new Speak Up campaign, Red Flags - designed by crew for crew, that appeals to the demographic of our workforce and will launch Red Flag Chat, a new digital Speak up channel.
• Enhanced our training programmes – with mandatory completion requirements for all new employees and new training programmes dedicated to a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace that require annual compulsory completion for all employees. All training materials have been reviewed and, where required, replaced with more engaging and contemporary resources.
• Developed our Leaders – we have taken deliberate steps to elevate how we support and develop our leaders in creating a culture that is safe, respectful, and inclusive. This is part of our ‘Always On’ approach to Safe, Respectful, and Inclusive learning, ensuring that development in this space is continuous, embedded, and evolving with our business. Key enhancements include: 
  • Enhanced eLearning Modules - we’ve upgraded our digital learning content to reflect current best practices, including interactive modules that are scenario-based, and designed to help leaders navigate real-life situations with confidence and clarity.
  • SafeSpace+ In-Person Training - we’ve rolled out SafeSpace+, a dedicated in-person training programme for all People Leaders, that allows deeper engagement and practical understanding of how to lead with empathy, accountability, and awareness.
• Created a new dedicated Culture Team with a new Head of Safeguarding – the team includes new roles such as our Director of Culture. More recently, we have appointed a new Head of Safeguarding to oversee and develop our safeguarding capabilities for young people.
• Drawn on leading expert partners – including from the University of Durham and award-winning charity, Power the Fight, to help drive change and define and develop our safeguarding capabilities.
• Strengthened our restaurant review processes – this includes introducing an independent third party to visit and review our restaurants as part of our ‘Putting People First Visits’ to help raise our standards. As part of these visits, we have also included a review of every restaurant’s sexual harassment risk assessment with checks on ensuring preventative measures are in place. A restaurant visit will be ‘failed’ without such measures in place with immediate remedies required.
• Enhanced our onboarding practices – we have implemented a new platform designed to support new employees as they join our business. This platform emphasises engagement and clearly outlines our expectations regarding workplace behaviour. This new system has an enhanced onboarding process for our U18 employees with additional connect points based on our safeguarding approach.
• Updated existing workplace policies and created & embedded new ones – covering key issues such as harassment, safeguarding, respect in the workplace and diversity & inclusion. In addition, we have developed a comprehensive set of practical support documents that illustrate our policies in a creative and engaging way that resonate with our people and clearly state the behaviours we expect.
• Funding a new PhD programme with Durham University to provide a deeper academic understanding of how businesses can best support young people in management positions. As a leading employer of young people offering progression opportunities regardless of age – we want to understand how we can even better support employees who may have limited life experience, but are managing a team. We are calling it Adolescent Management Research, a first of its kind across the globe.

For more information about the Cultural Action Plan, please visit: Valuing and Respecting Our People 2025 Report | McDonald's UK