Separate journalistic probes by The Nation in concert with Type Investigations and another from the BBC raise serious questions about the effectiveness of global brand standards in stopping the fast food giant from continuing to be a “toxic” work environment
Four years ago, McDonald’s vowed to clean up its act. After a wave of lawsuits, protests, and a bombshell investigation revealing rampant sexual harassment across its restaurants, the fast-food giant pledged sweeping reforms.
The company promised “global brand standards” to protect workers, claiming it would foster “a culture of physical and psychological safety.” But today, the toxic environment persists. Workers say the company’s promises were empty—and new investigations reveal that harassment, retaliation, and managerial indifference remain as pervasive as ever.
Rosalia Manuel dedicated over 20 years to McDonald’s, rising to shift manager in Saratoga, California. Then, in 2022, she was abruptly fired. Her offense? Reporting a manager who had been sexually harassing a coworker.
Instead of disciplining the harasser, the company suspended Manuel—then terminated her for so-called “insubordination.” When she called corporate HR, they promised an investigation. She never heard back.
The harasser not only kept her job, but the same manager subjected Sindy Pamela Mejia, a single mother working at a San Jose McDonald’s, to relentless harassment.
The woman made graphic comments about Mejia’s body, mocked her Honduran heritage, and denied her bathroom breaks. Mejia reported the abuse—only to see her hours slashed in half.
“Nobody seemed interested in helping me,” she said. The harassment only stopped when the abusive manager left the restaurant—on her own terms.
These are not isolated cases. A joint investigation by The Nation and Type Investigations, alongside an independent BBC exposé, reveals a systemic failure.
Despite McDonald’s 2021 pledge to enforce anti-harassment policies across its franchises—93% of which operate independently—workers say little has changed.
Training remains a joke: a few minutes of vague videos, if any at all. Reporting mechanisms are a dead end. Managers shrug off complaints—or punish those who dare to speak up.
You might just get raped today, if you cannot get away, at McDonald’s
In Texas, a 15-year-old girl was raped by a 28-year-old coworker. The assailant is now serving 40 years, but McDonald’s denies responsibility.
A lawsuit filed against McDonald’s and its franchisee, McKinney Restaurant Management, alleges that the fast-food chain put young employees in danger by hiring a registered sex offender. The lawsuit claims that then 28-year-old Eric Price, the convicted sex offender with a history of crimes involving minors who is now serving a 40-year sentence for a third offense, was hired at a McDonald’s in Hearne, where he allegedly assaulted the 15-year-old female co-worker.
The girl’s father, devastated, said, “I wish they can change all these McDonald’s so nobody can be hurt again.”
In Florida, workers in a class-action lawsuit describe managers laughing off harassment, retaliating against victims, and promoting known predators. One 16-year-old, Ashanti Torres-Rodriguez, quit after months of being groped by an older coworker—while her manager threatened to fire her for having panic attacks.
The problem isn’t confined to the U.S. In the UK, the BBC found workers still enduring abuse a year after McDonald’s CEO Alistair Macrow promised reform. A 19-year-old employee said managers “touch up” staff; a 16-year-old was told homophobic slurs were “just banter.” Over 700 workers are now suing, alleging McDonald’s failed to protect them.
McDonald’s response? Deflection. The company refuses to disclose its so-called “global standards,” calling them a “trade secret.” It touts anonymous hotlines and digital reporting tools—while workers say nothing happens when they use them.
Experts say real change requires more than check-the-box trainings and hollow policies. It demands accountability, transparency, and consequences for abusers—none of which McDonald’s has delivered.
For Rosalia Manuel, the betrayal cuts deep. “Knowing bad people are still working there hurts me more,” she said through tears. She lost her job, her livelihood, and her faith in the company. Meanwhile, McDonald’s keeps serving up the same old lies—with a side of corporate indifference.
The question isn’t whether McDonald’s can fix this. It’s whether it ever really wanted to.