McDonald's EHRC agreement highlights need to tackle workplace sexual harassment

With festive party season almost upon us, and the legal duty to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace recently celebrating its first birthday, McDonald's have provided another reminder about the importance of addressing sexual harassment in the workplace. 

McDonald's originally entered into a legally binding agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) back in February 2023 following concerns from staff about the way sexual harassment complaints were being handled. That agreement had been due to end in 2025, however, the EHRC has decided to extend it instead. A strengthened action plan builds on improvements McDonald's have already made and sets out steps tailored to the way they operate and the demographic of their staff.  These include refreshing their training and adding topics relevant to their employee cohort, alongside refreshing their risk assessments and promoting a speak-up culture.

In contrast, IKEA was recently released from their agreement after taking meaningful steps which included:

• a review of their policies and practices,
• improving their complaints monitoring and response processes,
• training for all employees with specific training for HR and line managers, and
• clearly communicating their zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment.

So, if it has been a year since you rolled out your training, now is a good time to refresh it and ensure it is tailored to your organisation. Your risk assessment should be a dynamic document updated as issues arise, but if you have not looked at it for a while now would be a good time to do that too. 

We can provide a full and comprehensive Preventing Sexual Harassment support package for your business which includes a bespoke risk assessment undertaken by our lawyers, engaging and interactive training for employees, managers, HR teams and senior leaders and recommendations and action points to help employers discharge their duty. Get in touch with our employment team, for further information.

Boyes Turner has been named Employment Law Firm of the Year by Personnel Today. This award recognises the strength of our Employment team’s expertise, and particularly our innovative approach to supporting clients with their obligations under the Worker Protection Act. Our Preventing sexual harassment risk assessment, training and support package for employers, is helping organisations proactively manage risk and support safer, more inclusive workplaces.