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coochiequeens · 2 years ago

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“Pouring piss is an anarchist act of resistance that stakes an urgent and lingering claim on our basic human rights … If you take away our toilets we will make one on your doorstep.” Said no oppressed group ever

Trans activists in London staged a urine-filled protest outside of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on Monday in response to proposed alterations to the Equality Act which would strengthen women’s sex-based rights.

Members of the organization Pissed Off Trannies (POT) gathered outside of the EHRC on May 22 to leave 90 liters of human urine around the perimeter of the building. The protest was in response to a recent statement by chief executive of the EHRC, Melanie Field, in which she affirmed the definition of “sex.”

The statements by Field were made during an interview with Transactual, a trans activist organization headed by trans-identified male Helen Belcher. Belcher pressed Field on the definition of “biological sex,” to which Field responded it was the “sex recorded at birth.”

Field’s comment reflects a slow-moving trend at the EHRC to implement stronger protections for biological sex as a protected characteristic, as well as recent plans to prevent trans-identified males from accessing women’s facilities unless they have a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC).

GRCs are documents which legally recognize a person’s transgender identity in the United Kingdom. The bar for acquiring one is not particularly high, having two primary requirements of a gender dysphoria diagnosis, and the individual having “lived” as their “preferred gender” for at 2 years. The fee is nominal at £5, but it can be waived entirely for low-income people.

The proposals have been met with extreme backlash by trans activists, who have branded the EHRC’s attempts to consider further protections for women as “anti-trans bias.”

This Monday, masked POT trans activists gathered outside of the EHRC office to leave bottles of human urine in protest of the considerations. The activists also poured the bottles of piss on the sidewalks.

POT posted an artistic video of the demonstration to their Instagram, featuring close-up shots of the bottles of urine with audio and transcription of Field’s interview with Transactual superimposed over the scenes.

“We placed 90 liters of trans piss outside the building and in their revolving doors, rendering the EHRC more explicitly what it already was: an inaccessible mess,” Pot wrote in the description of the video.

“Pouring piss is an anarchist act of resistance that stakes an urgent and lingering claim on our basic human rights … If you take away our toilets we will make one on your doorstep.”

This is not the first time POT has staged a piss-filled protest outside of the EHRC in London.

In September of 2022, POT activists similarly left jugs of human urine around the office’s doorstep, with one masked activist pouring one bottle on himself.

While the initial exclusive coverage by VICE did not publish the names of the activists involved, allowing them to remain anonymous, it was later revealed that the primary organizer for POT is an artist who has contributed to VICE in the past.

Jamie Cottle is a trans-identified male from Reading, England, who studied English at University College London. Cottle uses the moniker “Biogal” on social media. After staging his first protest outside of the EHRC last year, Cottle boasted about his actions on Instagram.

Cottle regularly hosts disturbing “performances” he claims are demonstrations of trans activism.

In one performance from 2022, simply titled “FISH,”Cottle strips while slapping himself with a dead fish. In another from that same year, titled “Prayer for the Pearl Oyster,” Cottle is seen wearing women’s underwear, transparent platform heels, and a pearl necklace. He rips fabric, tosses about oysters, and screams while stomping on the shells. Cottle then begins writhing, strips naked, and removes a sex toy from his anus.

In addition to providing words in a VICE article on “trans joy,” last year Cottle contributed to a piece published in the Italian edition of Vogue magazine.

Titled “The Hairy Boundaries of My Womanhood,” the article asserts that “trans women and non-binary femmes” should find “new ways to express their genders through facial hair,” while drawing a parallel between “dyke movements and women with PCOS” to biological males who claim a female identity.

“When covering my moustache, I experience security from the notion of passing but deal with the dangers of catcalling,” Cottle told Vogue. “When I choose not to cover up, I signal to the world my radical position on gender and resistance to the male gaze.”

In a photo posted to his Instagram account in October 2020, Cottle can be seen licking a knife in a threatening fashion. Behind him were images of Member of Parliament Liz Truss, and a man who appears to resemble former First Secretary of State Dominic Raab. The image is titled “Target Practice.”

In a similarly menacing image, Cottle was photographed in a skin-tight dress holding a sign that reads, “The streets will flow with tranny piss and Tory blood.”

In an interview with Era Journal, the University College of London’s Arts and Culture publication, Cottle acknowledges his admiration for a US-based trans-identified male called Río Sofia, who has made bondage and forced feminization pornography of himself as part of his academic studies at Cooper Union College. In 2020, Sofia presented his self-made pornography during a lecture for Princeton University.

One of Cottle’s performances appears to have been influenced by Sofia, who, during his presentation for Princeton, boasted of stripping down to nothing but “lucite-looking heels” and exposing himself to the then-president of Cooper Union, in an attempt to spark provocation.

Cottle also recently assisted with a fundraiser for his girlfriend’s double mastectomy. Jasmine, 22, a female who identifies as a man, stated on her GoFundMe page that she was “on the GenderCare pathway” due to being “exhausted [with] having to endure my body being sexualized in a way that feels so foreign to me.”

In 2021, Cottle was a member of the Queer Heritage and Collections Network Steering Group and a listed speaker at their taxpayer-funded symposium. The symposium featured prominent UK artists sharing “knowledge, skills, expertise and best practice regarding national and regional heritage sites and collections working with LGBTQ+ histories,” and was held in partnership with the national Art Fund.

Cottle was presented as being associated with English Heritage, a major charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places in the United Kingdom.

While Cottle has put his Instagram on private, his biography does claim he will be appearing at the Tate Britain, a historic art gallery in central London, on June 10.

So he’s appearing at the Tate during pride month. I’m sure that it’s just a coincidence that the Tate just announced that they were going to refer to to a woman artist who has been dead for decades as a transman.

May ‘they’ rest in peace: Tate gallery changes the pronouns of celebrated British artist who died 60 YEARS AGO to become gender-neutral and asks if the sculptor would identify as trans if alive today

Sculptor Marlow Moss was a pioneer in European abstract art who died in 1958

Works by the artist now feature a sign referring to their gender-neutral pronouns

#UK #London #Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)#Pissed Off Trannies #Melanie Field spoke the truth #Transactual #Helen Belcher is a man #Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC)#Jamie Cottle is a man #Protesting with Urine #Did anyone stop to think about the other people that would walk by that have nothing to do with the EHRC?

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ukrfeminism · 1 year ago

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Kemi Badenoch believes that “good public servants” must not be “hounded” out of office after the human rights watchdog dropped an investigation into its chairwoman.

Baroness Falkner of Margravine, of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), was the subject of an internal inquiry into allegations about her behaviour by current and former members of staff.

Critics said that the complaints were ideologically motivated because of her position on trans rights. The claims against Falkner were subsequently leaked to Channel 4 News in what her allies said was an attempt to “prejudge” the inquiry.

Badenoch, the minister for women and equalities, was so concerned that she called in an independent legal expert to review the handling of the complaints.

The commission said that on receiving the result of the review it had decided to close the investigation. It admitted to “process failures”.

Falkner, who had been investigated for five months, said: “I am grateful to see an end to this investigation into unsubstantiated claims against me. I am also particularly grateful for the support and encouragement I have received, since the investigation into allegations against me was first disclosed. I have relished public service all my life and continue to do so with vigour and determination.”

A source close to Badenoch said: “Kishwer Falkner has been a courageous chair of the EHRC who has dealt deftly with many contentious issues. Kemi has always been clear that good public servants should not be hounded out of office and she is pleased this process has now concluded.”

The complaints against Falkner were made after the EHRC’s 12 commissioners overruled concerns from its management team and recommended that the government consider creating a legal distinction between people born female and those who transition to become women.

More than 40 complaints were made by 12 current and former members of staff alleging bullying and harassment by Falkner and a toxic workplace. She strongly denied them.

Falkner said: “The organisation has been going through a transformation programme, to take clearer and more measurable action as the country’s regulator of equality law. Our staff are the most important element of achieving this change. I am proud that most have embraced the journey with a clear-eyed focus on the end goal – becoming the trusted equality regulator that serves everyone.

“I remain completely focused on the job I set out to do: advancing equality of opportunity and protecting the human rights of everyone in Britain.”

Behind the story

When Baroness Falkner of Margravine took on the role of chairwoman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, she knew it would not be easy. Trying to play referee in the culture wars over transgender rights has led to relentless criticism by those who have variously branded her “scum” and even a Nazi.

What she had not expected, however, was criticism from within. The investigation into her was marred with controversy from the start, with critics directly linking it to Falkner’s position on trans rights and suggesting it was ideologically motivated. These concerns intensified when a dossier of the allegations was leaked to Channel 4 News.

These included claims that Falkner had described a trans woman as a “bloke in lipstick” at a board meeting. She is also said to have “rolled her eyes” at staff who expressed concerns about the stance being taken by commissioners. Staff said she was “rude” and oversaw an exodus of workers unhappy about the direction of the organisation.

The claims were denied by Falkner, with some in the commission saying that things had been “blown out of all proportion”. The leaking of the dossier, they said, had compromised the inquiry. “There is no way she can get a fair hearing now,” they said.

The investigation was halted but Falkner had become an isolated figure. She took leave and it was said that the commission declined to pay her legal expenses. The end of the investigation represents the end of five months of turmoil for Falkner.

#Articles #trans

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damnesdelamer · 2 years ago

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The University and College Union (UCU) has raised serious concerns about government plans to review the Equality Act and the advice given by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

In a statement UCU said:

"The Government's plan to review the Equality Act 2010, with a mind to change existing provisions in relation to sex and gender, is an attack on the limited rights and protections to which trans people are currently entitled.

Changing the understanding of 'sex' to refer solely to 'biological sex' would effectively eradicate the ability of trans people to gain full legal recognition for their gender identity. This flies in the face of established UCU policy in favour of self-identification, and would enable acts of discrimination against trans and non-binary people to go unchallenged.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is there to protect and uphold the rights of all groups who face discrimination. This must include trans and non-binary people, but at the moment the EHRC is failing in this part of its remit. It's advice to the government on this issue has highlighted a number of ways in which trans people would be excluded as a result of the changes being considered.

Time and again, the Tory Government has shown itself to be against trans and non-binary inclusion - from blocking the path of Gender Recognition Act (GRA) reform in Scotland to their manufactured culture war against the trans community, one the of the UK's smallest and most vulnerable groups.

No legislation is perfect, but seeking to change an established law in a way that would actively remove rights from a marginalised group is deeply troubling. UCU is clear that the existing legal protections for trans people within the Equality Act 2010 must be retained and the government's attempts to sow further division must be resisted.

We are also clear that our own union is an inclusive one which recognises that trans men are men, trans women are women and non-binary people's identities are valid. We are committed to inclusive spaces and practices and will continue to fight for the rights of our trans and non-binary members (for more information see our trans and non-binary inclusion statement)."

#UCUrising #UCU Rising #original

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religion-is-a-mental-illness · 2 years ago

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By: James Esses

Published: Jul 11, 2023

Given the sad news that Nancy Kelley is leaving Stonewall at the end of this month, I thought it would be a nice send-off for her to compile the greatest achievements she presided over during the past three years.

We witnessed the disintegration of Stonewall’s ‘Diversity Champions Programme’, with swathes of organisations leaving the scheme altogether.

One Government minister even stated that he was “delighted” when his department announced that it was cutting ties with Stonewall.

Nancy came under significant fire for attempting to draw an abhorrent comparison between those with gender critical beliefs (which are protected under the Equality Act 2010) and “anti-Semitism”.

Stonewall found itself at the receiving end of a Stephen Nolan investigation into conflicts of interest and the undue influence it was having over public sector corporations.

The investigation was nominated for multiple radio awards.

Stonewall has, ironically, found itself being sued on the grounds of discrimination by lesbian campaigner, Allison Bailey, following a complaint made by it to her Chambers (which itself has been found to have discriminated against her).

Nancy Kelley presided over Stonewall coming in for significant criticism, after it posted statements online suggesting that it is possible for two year-olds to be trans.

Stonewall was later forced to retract the statements.

International condemnation was levelled at Stonewall after it was discovered that it was promoting books about gender ideology to two year-olds.

Stonewall launched a disgraceful attack on the U.K.’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and even tried to get its status rescinded, all because the EHRC dared to speak out in favour of upholding the rights of all in this country.

Nancy also presided over Stonewall when it took the decision that it would be a good idea to glorify double mastectomies being performed on young women struggling with a mental health condition. It even sold Christmas Cards featuring images of surgical scars.

Nancy led the organisation through some groundbreaking policy decisions, including making a case that ‘asexual’ people don’t have equal rights on the basis that there are tax benefits for married couples in the U.K.

Under Nancy’s leadership, Stonewall also managed to undermine the very ideology it espouses.

When the Isla Bryson saga took place, Chair Iain Anderson could not even answer the question as to which sex Isla Bryson was. Instead, he said: “That person is a rapist”.

Finally, when the 2021 Census results were released, Nancy celebrated an increase in ‘trans’ people (even though this also means an increase in mental disease).

Not long after, it was found the Census figures were likely misleading because of poor question wording.

Thank you for everything, Nancy.

You have done more for us than you will ever know.

Damn, I knew I missed one: ‘Trans lobby group Stonewall brands lesbians ‘sexual racists.‘

This speaks for itself.

Thank you, Nancy, for saying out loud and without the slightest hint of self-consciousness, what so many people insisted "LiTeRaLLy nO oNe iS sAyInG tHaT" and "tHaT nEvEr hApPeNs!"

You peaked more people than you will ever know.

It's likely already too late to save Stonewall, though.

#James Esses #Nancy Kelley #Stonewall #Stonewall UK #anti gay #woke homophobia #homophobia 2.0 #gender ideology #queer theory #ideological capture #medical mutilation #body mutilation #double mastectomy #this never happens #religion is a mental illness

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whatthetranspod · 2 years ago

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EP86 - How the UK's equalities watchdog became the government's best anti-trans weapon

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) had one job: To protect human rights.

When it comes to trans people they have arguably failed.

On this podcast we go over the history of the EHRC and how it went from being pretty good on trans issues to dancing to the anti-trans tune of the government.

Also: Anti-trans fascist Florida governor has announced his run for the US presidency. Nothing about that was good.

References: https://whatthetrans.com/ep86/ https://linktr.ee/whatthetrans

If the player doesn’t show up, listen here!

#episodes

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figures-hr · 1 month ago

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Pay Transparency in the UK: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction

Pay transparency has been a growing topic of discussion in the UK, particularly as businesses and employees push for greater clarity in salary structures. The concept revolves around the idea that employees should have visibility into how salaries are determined, the pay ranges for different roles, and any gender or diversity-based pay gaps. Governments and regulatory bodies have also been actively working to enforce policies that ensure fair pay practices across various industries.

In this article, we will explore what pay transparency means, its importance, UK regulations, employer perspectives, benefits and challenges, and the future outlook of pay transparency UK workplace.

Understanding Pay Transparency

Pay transparency refers to the practice of openly sharing salary information within an organization or at a national level to promote fairness and accountability. It can be implemented in different ways, ranging from publishing salary bands for different roles to full disclosure of individual salaries.

There are three levels of pay transparency:

Internal Pay Transparency: Employees within an organization have access to pay ranges or salaries of their colleagues.

External Pay Transparency: Companies publicly disclose salaries or salary bands for different job roles.

Government-Led Pay Transparency: Governments implement regulations requiring businesses to disclose pay data, often focusing on gender pay gaps and equal pay compliance.

Importance of Pay Transparency

Pay transparency is crucial for fostering a fair and equitable workplace. Some of its key benefits include:

1. Reduction of Pay Gaps

Pay transparency helps identify and eliminate gender pay gaps and other wage disparities. By making salary information available, organizations can assess and correct any biases in their compensation structures.

2. Increased Employee Trust and Morale

Employees are more likely to feel valued and engaged when they perceive fair pay practices within an organization. This transparency fosters trust between employees and employers, leading to increased motivation and productivity.

3. Enhanced Recruitment and Retention

Job seekers are more attracted to companies that offer transparent pay structures. Employees are also more likely to stay in an organization where they feel confident about fair compensation practices.

4. Legal Compliance and Risk Mitigation

With increasing government regulations on equal pay, businesses that adopt pay transparency policies are better positioned to comply with laws and avoid legal disputes related to wage discrimination.

5. Improved Organizational Culture

Transparency in pay structures leads to a culture of fairness, where employees feel recognized and valued based on merit rather than secrecy or bias.

Pay Transparency Regulations in the UK

The UK government has implemented several laws and guidelines to ensure fair pay practices. Some key regulations include:

1. Gender Pay Gap Reporting

Since April 2017, companies with 250 or more employees are legally required to report their gender pay gap statistics annually. The reports must include:

Mean and median gender pay gap figures

Mean and median bonus pay gaps

Proportion of males and females receiving bonuses

Pay distribution across different quartiles

Failure to comply can lead to reputational damage and enforcement actions from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

2. Equal Pay Act and Equality Act 2010

The Equal Pay Act 1970, later incorporated into the Equality Act 2010, mandates that men and women performing equal work must receive equal pay. Employees can challenge employers in employment tribunals if they believe they are being unfairly paid.

3. National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage

The UK government sets the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) to ensure fair pay for all workers. These rates vary based on age groups and are reviewed annually.

4. Transparency in Job Advertisements

While not mandatory, there is increasing pressure on employers to include salary information in job postings to promote fairer pay negotiations and reduce wage disparities.

Employer Perspectives on Pay Transparency

While pay transparency has numerous benefits, many UK employers are still hesitant to fully embrace it due to concerns over:

Salary Negotiation Challenges: Some employers fear that openly sharing salary details might limit flexibility in salary negotiations.

Workforce Discontent: Disclosing salaries may cause dissatisfaction among employees who feel they are unfairly paid compared to peers.

Increased Administrative Burden: Maintaining transparent salary structures requires ongoing reviews and adjustments, which can be time-consuming.

However, forward-thinking businesses are adopting structured pay transparency models that balance openness with confidentiality. Many companies are choosing to disclose salary bands rather than individual salaries to address transparency concerns while maintaining discretion.

Benefits and Challenges of Pay Transparency

Benefits:

Fairer Compensation Practices: Helps ensure employees receive fair pay based on skills and experience.

Stronger Employer Branding: Enhances reputation and attracts top talent.

Reduced Discrimination: Prevents gender and racial pay disparities.

Better Financial Planning for Employees: Employees can plan career growth with clear salary expectations.

Challenges:

Potential Employee Resentment: Some employees may feel underpaid compared to others, leading to dissatisfaction.

Data Interpretation Issues: Employees may misinterpret salary figures without understanding factors like experience, location, and tenure.

Resistance from Leadership: Employers may resist transparency due to fear of backlash or administrative challenges.

The Future of Pay Transparency in the UK

The UK is gradually moving towards increased pay transparency. Some expected future developments include:

Mandatory Salary Ranges in Job Listings

The UK government is considering regulations requiring employers to disclose salary ranges in job advertisements.

The Scottish Government has already implemented this requirement for public sector roles.

Expansion of Gender Pay Gap Reporting

There may be a reduction in the 250-employee threshold, requiring smaller companies to report pay gaps.

Additional pay transparency metrics, such as ethnicity and disability pay gaps, may also be introduced.

More Companies Voluntarily Adopting Transparency

Some leading companies like Buffer and Monzo have already adopted full pay transparency policies, setting an example for others to follow.

Integration of AI and Data Analytics in Pay Transparency

Businesses are increasingly using AI-driven tools to analyze and monitor salary data, ensuring fairness and compliance with equal pay laws.

Conclusion

Pay transparency is an evolving aspect of workplace equality in the UK, playing a crucial role in reducing pay gaps, increasing employee trust, and fostering a fair organizational culture. While challenges remain, the future of pay transparency looks promising as businesses and policymakers continue to advocate for fairer compensation practices.

As the UK moves toward greater salary openness, companies that proactively embrace transparency will likely gain a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining top talent. Employees, on the other hand, can benefit from clearer career pathways and fairer pay structures, ensuring a more equitable workforce for all.

For businesses, the key takeaway is clear: pay transparency is not just a legal obligation—it is a step toward a more ethical, productive, and forward-thinking work environment.

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ukrfeminism · 2 years ago

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5 minute read

A toxic culture of sexual assault, harassment, racism and bullying has been alleged by more than 100 current and recent UK staff at outlets of the fast-food chain McDonald's.

The BBC was told that workers, some as young as 17, are being groped and harassed almost routinely.

The UK equality watchdog said it was "concerned" by the BBC's findings and is launching a new email hotline.

McDonald's said it had "fallen short" and it "deeply apologised".

It added that all employees deserved to work in a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace.

The BBC began investigating working conditions at McDonald's in February, after the company signed a legally binding agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in which it pledged to protect its staff from sexual harassment.

At the time, McDonald's insisted: "We already have a strong track record in this area."

But our investigation has revealed a very different picture.

Over a five-month period, we reached out to McDonald's workers to ask about their experiences of working there. Of the more than 100 allegations from employees we spoke to, 31 related to sexual assault, and 78 related to sexual harassment.

We also heard 18 allegations of racism, while six people made allegations of homophobia.

Warning - this article contains distressing content

Claims the BBC has heard include:

A 17-year-old current employee in Cheshire who says a colleague 20 years older than her called her a racial slur word and asked to show her his penis, and said he wanted to make a "black and white" baby with her

A former worker who was 17 when a senior manager at a Plymouth restaurant choked her and grabbed her bottom. A shift manager also sent her sexually explicit images

A manager in Hampshire who suggested a 16-year-old male worker perform sexual acts in exchange for vapes

A manager who preyed on 16-year-old new female starters in a Cheshire restaurant, trying to pressurise them into having sex

A woman who said she was called a slur word and subject to racist jokes at an Aberdeen branch

A current worker in Essex who says she faced antisemitic abuse

A current worker in Oxfordshire, originally from India, who says crew members spoke in "gibberish" to imitate her and called a Pakistani colleague a terrorist

Male managers and crew members at a branch in Wales making jokes about putting cash bets on which of them could sleep with a new recruit first

An outbreak of gonorrhoea at a branch in Northern Ireland where sexual relationships between staff members were commonplace

Multiple workers told us that McDonald's managers at the outlets across the UK were responsible for the harassment and assaults.

All too often, senior managers are said to have failed to act on complaints.

Staff have also told the BBC of sexual relationships between managers and more junior members of staff, which is against company policy.

Young women have described feeling constantly judged about how they looked.

One current worker said she was seen by her male colleagues as "fresh meat" when she started at her branch in Nottingham. Other female workers told us they were forced by managers to wear uniforms that were too tight for them.

"There is a saying at McDonald's, "tits on tills" - boys in the kitchen, girls on the counter. The idea is to put attractive people at the front," said Lucy, who's 22 and worked in Norwich.

"It's the expectation that if you work at McDonald's, you will be harassed," added Emily, who's 20. She left her branch in Brighton last year, after a male colleague in his 60s kept stroking her hair in a sexually suggestive way and making her feel uncomfortable.

McDonald's is one of the UK's largest private sector employers. The fast food giant has more than 170,000 people working in 1,450 restaurants.

Its staff are also one of the country's youngest workforces. Three quarters of its employees are aged between 16 and 25. For many, it is their first job.

Most workers are not directly employed by the company as McDonald's uses a franchise system, which means individual operators are licensed to run the outlets and employ the staff.

'I went to work in fear'

Shelby was just 16 when she started working at a McDonald's restaurant in Berkshire last year.

She said older male colleagues would use the cramped layout in the kitchen as an excuse to touch junior female staff inappropriately.

"They'd grope stomach, waists, bums," she said. "Every shift I worked, there would be at least a comment being made, or I'd be brushed, a hand brushed across me, or it would be a more severe thing, like having my bum grabbed, hips grabbed."

There was one man in his 50s, in particular, that managers "warned" young staff members to stay away from, Shelby said.

One day last summer, she said she was standing at the front counter when he came up behind her and grabbed her onto him, pulling her onto his groin.

"I just froze," she said. "I felt disgusted."

Shelby says she told senior management about what was going on in the store, but nothing was done. In her resignation email, she said it was a "toxic work environment".

McDonald's said it was "deeply sorry" to hear about what Shelby went through. It added that it was investigating why any issues that she raised were not formally escalated at the time.

Managers turning a blind eye

We do not know how many of the workers we spoke to made formal complaints. But a number of them told us they did - only for them to be ignored.

In the case of 17-year-old Chinyere in Cheshire, who was sexually and racially harassed by a much older man, she initially raised it with a female colleague who was responsible for staff wellbeing. She told her to ignore the man's behaviour and go back to work. After months of harassment, Chinyere confided in her stepfather who wrote to the franchise, to corporate headquarters and the police.

The man was then fired. Chinyere believes if her stepfather hadn't intervened, nothing would have happened. McDonald's described her experiences as "abhorrent and unacceptable" and apologised unreservedly. It said it took swift action as soon as the issue came to its attention and that the man was dismissed within three days. They added: "It takes a great deal of courage to speak up and as soon as we were made aware of the situation the individual in question was offered both internal and independent external support."

Another worker in Birmingham, who says she was smacked on the bottom by a male colleague when she was 19, reported it immediately to her manager. But despite it being caught on camera and her having a visible bruise, she was forced to continue working with him, which made her so uncomfortable that she eventually quit.

Several workers also said that when complaints were made about managers, they were then moved from one McDonald's restaurant within the franchise to another, rather than being fired.

Other employees said they didn't complain as they couldn't risk losing work. Young staff at McDonald's are often on zero hours contracts - it means their hours are flexible, but also that they are at the mercy of shift managers who decide their rotas.

What to do if you have been sexually harassed at work

Report it: Charity Victim Support says you can report it to your manager, HR representative or trade union who will take action.

Keep a record: Including dates, times and details of what happened, as well as any relevant emails. These could be helpful if you decide to report it.

Get help: Victim Support operates a free and confidential 24/7 helpline and live chat service. Call 0808 16 89 111 or use the live chat at: victimsupport.org.uk/live-chat.

Call the police: If sexual harassment escalates into violence, threats or sexual assault, you should report this to the police by calling 101. If you are in danger, call 999.

Training 'not taken seriously'

In the February agreement, McDonald's pledged "zero tolerance" on sexual harassment and to deliver training for employees.

But staff have told the BBC the training is not being taken seriously by managers.

One employee described perching an iPad next to a McFlurry machine and speeding through the harassment training video while he made drinks.

Baroness Kishwer Falkner, chairwoman of the EHRC, said every firm should have zero tolerance of sexual harassment and protect its workforce.

McDonald's culture has faced scrutiny globally. In the US it is facing multimillion dollar lawsuits brought by employees over sexual harassment allegations.

Its chief executive, Steve Easterbrook, was fired in 2019 after it was revealed he had inappropriate consensual relationships with McDonald's employees.

Allegations of sexual harassment at McDonald's first surfaced in the UK five years ago when the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) says it received 1,000 complaints. There was very little reporting of the allegations at the time - this could be because some cases were settled using confidentiality clauses.

Sarah Woolley, BFAWU's general secretary, said the new allegations uncovered by the BBC were "shocking".

Alistair Macrow, chief executive of McDonald's UK & Ireland, said there was "simply no place for harassment, abuse, or discrimination" at the company.

"Every one of the 177,000 employees in McDonald's UK deserves to work in a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace. There are clearly instances where we have fallen short and for that we deeply apologise," he told the BBC.

"We will investigate all allegations brought to us, and all proven breaches of our code of conduct will be met with the most severe measures we can legally impose, up to and including dismissal."

Mr Macrow said that more than 2,000 managers had completed full awareness training and that most restaurant teams were now working within the new protections which aim to create "a safe and respectful workplace". He added that the company has stringent rules to ensure its workplaces around the world are safe and respectful.

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head-post · 3 months ago

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McDonald’s workers claim sexual harassment, unsafe working conditions

The controversy surrounding workplace harassment at McDonald’s UK keeps escalating, with employees reporting ongoing concerns, according to The Workers Union.

A year after McDonald’s UK CEO Alistair Macrow pledged to reform workplace culture, employees came forward with allegations of sexual harassment, bullying and unsafe conditions. As a result, the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) intervened.

Workers reported incidents of racism, verbal abuse and bullying by managers. Managers allegedly offered intimacy for extra shifts and sent explicit photos to female employees. More than 700 current and former employees joined legal action against the company, claiming it failed to protect staff.

Following the BBC’s initial investigation, McDonald’s partnered with PricewaterhouseCoopers to audit its restaurants and assess staff welfare. However, some workers claimed the audits were staged, with specially selected staff ready to provide favourable reviews.

Meanwhile, a company spokesperson said it had made progress, citing survey results showing increased confidence among employees to voice their opinions. However, many felt the measures were insufficient.

Although McDonald’s claimed that employees could choose guaranteed working hours, the workers surveyed said they were either unaware of the option or did not have access to it.

Macrow will face MPs for the second time to deal with allegations of harassment and abuse at McDonald’s UK on Tuesday. However, Liam Byrne, chairman of the Business Select Committee, criticised the company’s apparent failure to eradicate the issue, calling the situation “appalling.”

There is a clear pattern of abuse here that suggests that McDonald’s has become a hotbed of harassment.

The revelations highlight the challenges of implementing change in franchise companies where local managers enjoy considerable control. While the company claims to address the issues, worker testimonies point to a large gap between corporate promises and reality.

Read more HERE

#world news #news #world politics #europe #european news #uk #uk politics #uk news #england #london #united kingdom #mcdonalds #harrasment

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eton75 · 3 months ago

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The Rise of Indian-Origin CEOs in Global Tech: Achievements and Challenges

In recent years, professionals of Indian origin have ascended to leadership positions in some of the world’s most influential technology companies. Notable figures include:

• Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet and Google.

• Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft.

• Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM.

• Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe.

• Sanjay Mehrotra, CEO of Micron Technology.

• Nikesh Arora, CEO of Palo Alto Networks.

• Raghu Raghuram, CEO of VMware.

• Anjali Sud, CEO of Vimeo.

This trend reflects the global recognition of the expertise and leadership qualities that Indian professionals bring to the tech industry.

However, alongside these achievements, there has been a concerning rise in discrimination against individuals of Indian origin in various countries. In Canada, for instance, anti-Indian sentiment has grown amid increased immigration, with people of Indian origin comprising nearly 30% of new permanent residents.

In the United Kingdom, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has reported persistent racial discrimination affecting various ethnic groups, including those of Indian descent.

In the United States, studies reveal that 50% of Indian adults have experienced racial discrimination, with 26% subjected to offensive name-calling by strangers.

These challenges highlight the complex landscape that Indian-origin professionals navigate globally. While their contributions to the tech industry are significant and widely acknowledged, addressing the underlying issues of racial discrimination remains crucial to fostering an inclusive environment that values diversity and equal opportunity.

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thehrteam · 7 months ago

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Sexual Harassment - Key Points From The Equality And Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Draft Updated Technical Guidance

Sexual harassment is when a person is subjected to unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of either violating their dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment. Read More: https://thehrteam.co.uk/august-2024-newsletter/

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timelordnicky · 2 years ago

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Important note: The response from the government is from January long before the advice from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (3 April) that is IN FAVOUR of making transphobic changes. You can see the full letter from the EHRC here. If you are in the UK YOU STILL NEED TO SIGN THE PETITION!

hiiiii everyone please sign this it has until the 15th! if the amendment gets passed it'll make it a lot easier to erode trans rights in the uk

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warningsine · 1 year ago

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The gender pay gap has reduced to its lowest level since reporting became mandatory for businesses in 2017. However, women are still being paid just 91p for every £1 a man earns, according to analysis of official government data.

Almost four out of five companies and public bodies are still paying men more than women (78.4%) although the median pay gap reduced slightly from the previous year to 9.1% in 2023-2024, the lowest level since mandatory reporting became law in Great Britain in 2018.

However, the gender pay gap remains stubbornly higher in the public sector at 14.4% with almost nine-in-10 (87.6%) public sector organisations paying men more than women in comparison to just over three-quarters of private companies.

By 3pm on Friday – ahead of the midnight deadline for private companies – a record 10,380 organisations with 250 or more employees had filed data.

However, campaigners have called for further action by the government to tackle pay disparities, including the introduction of fines for companies who do not comply with the law.https://interactive.guim.co.uk/uploader/embed/2024/04/gender-paygap2024/giv-13425od72Cmb6X54x/

The general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, Paul Nowak, said: “Working women deserve equal pay but the gender pay gap is still a huge issue. At current rates of progress, it will take more than 20 years to bring men and women’s pay into line. That is not right … companies must now be required to implement action plans to close their pay gaps and bosses who don’t comply with the law should be fined.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission did not respond to questions on how many relevant companies and bodies had never filed a report despite having a legal obligation to do so but insisted that non-compliance with reporting this data was low, citing only eight known organisations failing to report by the deadline in 2023, and 28 in 2022.

A spokesperson added: “There have been no penalties or fines issued to date. It is important to note that the EHRC does not have the power to issue fines directly, which would be issued via a court order.”

The construction (22.8%), finance and insurance (21.5%), and education (20%) registered the biggest median pay gaps, according to analysis of the sectors reported by each body.

The educational sector’s poor standing is due, in part, to large gaps in Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs); of the worst-performing 100 public bodies with the largest gender pay gap, all but three were academy trusts.

Responding to questions on whether the government should intervene on the large and persistent gender pay gaps in MATs a spokesperson for the Department of Education said schools were responsible for their own decisions on employment issues but were expected to give due consideration to their obligations under the Equality Act 2010.

The accommodation and food, and health and social work sectors reported some of the lowest gender pay gaps, with women earning 0.5% and 1.5% less than their male colleagues, respectively.

Under the Equal Pay Act 1970, it is illegal to pay different amounts to men and women doing the same jobs.

Survey data by the Office for National Statistics, published in November 2023 which covers the wider UK population regardless of the size of the company, shows the gender pay gap declining slowly over time to 7.7% in April 2023. The data also demonstrated higher disparities among full-time employees in every English region than in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

A government spokesperson said: “The gender pay gap has been trending downwards since 1997, and the government is committed to ensuring women have equal access to employment, enterprise and investment opportunities.”

#pay gap #gender equality #uk #news tag

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sogiescwatcher · 1 year ago

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Today the United Nations published the latest report by the sub-committee on accreditation of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions.

In which the SCA announces a special review of Great Britain’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

The report

The SCA had received 9 submissions from civil society organisations earlier this year, after the EHRC suggested that the UK Government could amend anti-discrimination law to make it easier to discriminate against transgender people. The SCA had, meanwhile, become aware that the EHRC had significantly changed its stance on transgender issues - and that this had been criticised by some as inconsistent with its previous stance and with international standards. Meanwhile, there were also news reports that the EHRC had a toxic internal culture, with allegations of bullying and senior staff leaving.

Then the UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity visited the UK. He said the EHRC’s advice on the definition of ‘sex’ under the Equality Act, is “wholly unbecoming of an institution created to ‘stand up for those in need of protection and hold governments to account for their human rights obligations’”.

The EHRC was given an opportunity to respond to these allegations. It denies wrongdoing. The SCA nevertheless has decided to initiate a special review.

“The SCA is of the view that third party submissions and publicly available information raise serious concerns about the continued compliance of the EHRC with the Paris Principles, including its ability to conduct its mandate independently, to take positions in line with international standards, and its cooperation with civil society.

“In view of the information before it, the SCA decides to initiate a Special Review in accordance with Article 16.2 of the GANHRI Statute in order to determine the EHRC’s ongoing compliance with the Paris Principles.”

What is GANHRI? What is accreditation?

What does this mean? So the EHRC is Great Britain’s National Human Rights Institution (NHRI).

The United Nations encouraged states to set up NHRIs to promote and protect human rights. In 1993 the UN General Assembly approved standards for NHRIs, the Paris Principles.

The Paris Principles require NHRIs to be independent in law, membership, operations, policy and control of resources. They also require that NHRIs have a broad mandate; pluralism in membership; broad functions; adequate powers; adequate resources; cooperative methods; and engage with international bodies.

In the same year, the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) was established. One of its roles is to accredit NHRIs based on compliance with the Paris Principles.

NHRIs that broadly comply with the Paris Principles are given ‘A status’. This gives them the independent right to take part in UN Human Rights Council meetings, and the right to vote and hold leadership positions within GANHRI.

NHRIs that only partially comply are given ‘B status’.

The EHRC currently holds ‘A status’, and was last accredited in October 2022. In the normal way of things they wouldn’t be reaccredited for another five years. Except here the EHRC faces a special review after just one year.

The special review process

GANHRI has a useful practical guide setting out the various steps in the process. The process can take up to 18 months. Following the review GANHRI can recommend A-status be maintained, that it be downgraded to B status, or that the review be deferred (for no more than 18 months) so the NHRI can provide additional information. Any downgrade takes effect one year later.

My personal view

The EHRC is in a difficult spot. The GANHRI report says the SCA has concerns about EHRC’s independence, its willingness to take position in line with international standards, and cooperation with civil society.

Considering each in turn…

Independence

The basic problem here is that the current Conservative government have all but confirmed that the new EHRC commissioners are there to pursue its policies. In December 2020, Liz Truss gave a speech in which she railed against the failed ideas of the left, blamed Michel Foucault for children learning about racism in schools, and went on to boast about how she’d appointed the EHRC commissioners to “challenge dangerous groupthink”.

“That is why I am appointing a new chair and a wide variety of commissioners to the Equality and Human Rights Commission to drive this agenda forward. […]”

“Under this new leadership, the EHRC will focus on enforcing fair treatment for all, rather than freelance campaigning.”

Since then we’ve seen some baffling interventions by the EHRC, which seem calculated to sabotage progressive reforms or provide political cover for regression. The EHRC suddenly decided that a conversion therapy ban - one of the key priorities for LGBTQI+ human rights defenders - needed to be watered down. Having consistently supported gender recognition reforms, it radically toned down this support. Then, earlier this year, it suggested that the UK Government change the definition of “sex” in equality law to mean “biological sex”. These stances are completely at odds with those of international and regional human rights bodies - but do fit nicely with the Government’s anti-woke agenda.

International standards

The EHRC’s stance on transgender people also brings it into conflict with international standards.

For nearly a decade now, the UN Human Rights Office has endorsed gender recognition based on self-identification, a stance endorsed by other international and regional human rights mechanisms. States are expected to give access to gender recognition based on a simple administrative process without abusive requirements such as forced medical diagnosis. It also supports a full ban on so called conversion “therapy”.

The UN Free and Equal Campaign’s standards of conduct for business likewise expects businesses to prevent ill treatment of trans staff, customers or stakeholders. This includes recognising gender identity based on self-identification, and respecting the names and pronouns used by the person concerned.

Self-identification and a conversion therapy ban also formed the basis of the recent campaigns by the former UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.

And this is just a flavour. Human rights instruments tend to be interrelated and overlapping. Support for trans rights is found not just at the UN Human Rights Office but among international human rights bodies generally.

Coming at it from the other direction

The direction of travel under Baroness Falkner has been in an explicitly conservative direction. Animosity towards LGBT and in particular transgender rights has been one of the unifying causes of the global ultranationalist and religious conservative movements. The insistence that law should be based on immutable biology is found in the religious conservative response to the feminist, gay rights and transgender rights movements. See, for instance, the publications on transgender issues by the Family Research Council.

The current EHRC board has prominent supporters of the “gender critical movement”, a movement that has been condemned by regional human rights mechanisms.

“The Assembly condemns the highly prejudicial anti-gender, gender-critical and anti-trans narratives which reduce the struggle for the equality of LGBTI people to what these movements deliberately mis-characterise as “gender ideology” or “LGBTI ideology”. Such narratives deny the very existence of LGBTI people, dehumanise them and often falsely portray their rights as being in conflict with women’s and children’s rights, or societal and family values in general. All of these are deeply damaging to LGBTI people, while also harming women’s and children’s rights and social cohesion.” - Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Resolution 2417 (2022)

The EHRC is alleged to have worked closely with members of anti-gender, gender-critical hate groups. And this at a time when the anti-gender movement is gaining ground across the globe, with direct links to religious conservative funders in the US, and Russian oligarchs.

Relations with civil society

Finally, the EHRC has irreparably burnt its bridges with civil society. Its alignment with the Conservative government’s culture war politics means that there’s now little possibility of engagement under the current leadership.

The basic problem here is that the EHRC is pitching itself as a neutral arbiter, rather than one that will promote and protect human rights in all circumstances without exception. The EHRC sees its failure to stand up for certain human rights as a sign that it is balancing the competing demands of different groups in society. It complains that the previous policy towards transgender people was pushed by the full time staff at the EHRC, not by the board level commissioners.

One is left with the feeling that the EHRC sees independence not in terms of upholding all human rights even when it annoys the government, but as a top down regulator that decides for itself whether and which human rights deserve protection.

Which is perhaps exactly what Liz Truss meant when she condemned the EHRC’s previous “freelance campaigning”.

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qudachuk · 1 year ago

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Equality and Human Rights Commission chair Baroness Falkner called the claims "unsubstantiated".

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olko71 · 2 years ago

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New Post has been published on All about business online

New Post has been published on https://yaroreviews.info/2023/07/mcdonalds-abuse-claims-as-100-workers-speak-out

McDonald's abuse claims as 100 workers speak out

By Noor Nanji, Zoe Conway & Ellie Layhe

BBC News

A toxic culture of sexual assault, harassment, racism and bullying has been alleged by more than 100 current and recent UK staff at outlets of the fast-food chain McDonald’s.

The BBC was told that workers, some as young as 17, are being groped and harassed almost routinely.

The UK equality watchdog said it was “concerned” by the BBC’s findings and is launching a new email hotline.

McDonald’s said it had “fallen short” and it “deeply apologised”.

It added that all employees deserved to work in a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace.

The BBC began investigating working conditions at McDonald’s in February, after the company signed a legally binding agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in which it pledged to protect its staff from sexual harassment.

At the time, McDonald’s insisted: “We already have a strong track record in this area.”

But our investigation has revealed a very different picture.

Of the more than 100 allegations from employees we spoke to, 31 related to sexual assault, and 78 related to sexual harassment.

We also heard 18 allegations of racism, while six people made allegations of homophobia.

Warning – this article contains distressing content

Claims the BBC has heard include:

A 17-year-old current employee in Cheshire who says a colleague 20 years older than her called her a racial slur word and asked to show her his penis, and said he wanted to make a “black and white” baby with her

A former worker who was 17 when a senior manager at a Plymouth restaurant choked her and grabbed her bottom. A shift manager also sent her sexually explicit images

A manager in Hampshire who suggested a 16-year-old male worker perform sexual acts in exchange for vapes

A manager who preyed on 16-year-old new female starters in a Cheshire restaurant, trying to pressurise them into having sex

A woman who said she was called a slur word and subject to racist jokes at an Aberdeen branch

A current worker in Essex who says she faced anti-Semitic abuse

A current worker in Oxfordshire, originally from India, who says crew members spoke in “gibberish” to imitate her and called a Pakistani colleague a terrorist

Male managers and crew members at a branch in Wales making jokes about putting cash bets on which of them could sleep with a new recruit first

An outbreak of gonorrhoea at a branch in Northern Ireland where sexual relationships between staff members were commonplace

Multiple workers told us that McDonald’s managers at the outlets across the UK were responsible for the harassment and assaults.

All too often, senior managers are said to have failed to act on complaints.

Staff have also told the BBC of sexual relationships between managers and more junior members of staff, which is against company policy.

Young women have described feeling constantly judged about how they looked.

MeToo hasn’t helped McDonald’s teenage workers

One current worker said she was seen by her male colleagues as “fresh meat” when she started at her branch in Nottingham. Other female workers told us they were forced by managers to wear uniforms that were too tight for them.

“There is a saying at McDonald’s, “tits on tills” – boys in the kitchen, girls on the counter. The idea is to put attractive people at the front,” said Lucy, who’s 22 and worked in Norwich.

“It’s the expectation that if you work at McDonald’s, you will be harassed,” added Emily, who’s 20. She left her branch in Brighton last year, after a male colleague in his 60s kept stroking her hair in a sexually suggestive way and making her feel uncomfortable.

McDonald’s manager ‘exposed himself in front of me’

Ex-McDonald’s boss fined after staff relationship

What counts as sexual harassment at work?

McDonald’s is one of the UK’s largest private sector employers. The fast food giant has more than 170,000 people working in 1,450 restaurants.

Its staff are also one of the country’s youngest workforces. Three quarters of its employees are aged between 16 and 25. For many, it is their first job.

Most workers are not directly employed by the company as McDonald’s uses a franchise system, which means individual operators are licensed to run the outlets and employ the staff.

‘I went to work in fear’

Shelby was just 16 when she started working at a McDonald’s restaurant in Berkshire last year.

She said older male colleagues would use the cramped layout in the kitchen as an excuse to touch junior female staff inappropriately.

“They’d grope stomach, waists, bums,” she said. “Every shift I worked, there would be at least a comment being made, or I’d be brushed, a hand brushed across me, or it would be a more severe thing, like having my bum grabbed, hips grabbed.”

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There was one man in his 50s, in particular, that managers “warned” young staff members to stay away from, Shelby said.

Would you report or try to stop sexual harassment?

One day last summer, she said she was standing at the front counter when he came up behind her and grabbed her onto him, pulling her onto his groin.

“I just froze,” she said. “I felt disgusted.”

Shelby says she told senior management about what was going on in the store, but nothing was done. In her resignation email, she said it was a “toxic work environment”.

McDonald’s said it was “deeply sorry” to hear about what Shelby went through. It added that it was investigating why any issues that she raised were not formally escalated at the time.

Managers turning a blind eye

A number of the workers we spoke to said that, like Shelby, they reported harassment and assault, only for it to be ignored.

In the case of 17-year-old Chinyere in Cheshire, who was sexually and racially harassed by a much older man, she initially raised it with a female colleague who was responsible for staff wellbeing. She told her to ignore the man’s behaviour and go back to work. After months of harassment, Chinyere confided in her stepfather who wrote to the franchise, to corporate headquarters and the police.

The man was then fired. Chinyere believes if her stepfather hadn’t intervened, nothing would have happened. McDonald’s described her experiences as “abhorrent and unacceptable” and apologised unreservedly. It said it took swift action as soon as the issue came to its attention and that the man was dismissed within three days. They added: “It takes a great deal of courage to speak up and as soon as we were made aware of the situation the individual in question was offered both internal and independent external support.”

Several workers also said that when complaints were made about managers, they were then moved from one McDonald’s restaurant within the franchise to another, rather than being fired.

Other employees said they didn’t complain as they couldn’t risk losing work. Young staff at McDonald’s are often on zero hours contracts – it means their hours are flexible, but also that they are at the mercy of shift managers who decide their rotas.

What to do if you have been sexually harassed at work

Report it: Charity Victim Support says you can report it to your manager, HR representative or trade union who will take action.

Keep a record: Including dates, times and details of what happened, as well as any relevant emails. These could be helpful if you decide to report it.

Get help: Victim Support operates a free and confidential 24/7 helpline and live chat service. Call 0808 16 89 111 or use the live chat at: victimsupport.org.uk/live-chat.

Call the police: If sexual harassment escalates into violence, threats or sexual assault, you should report this to the police by calling 101. If you are in danger, call 999.

Training ‘not taken seriously’

In the February agreement, McDonald’s pledged “zero tolerance” on sexual harassment and to deliver training for employees.

But staff have told the BBC the training is not being taken seriously by managers.

One employee described perching an iPad next to a McFlurry machine and speeding through the harassment training video while he made drinks.

Baroness Kishwer Falkner, chairwoman of the EHRC, said every firm should have zero tolerance of sexual harassment and protect its workforce.

McDonald’s culture has faced scrutiny globally. In the US it is facing multimillion dollar lawsuits brought by employees over sexual harassment allegations.

Its chief executive, Steve Easterbrook, was fired in 2019 after it was revealed he had inappropriate consensual relationships with McDonald’s employees.

Allegations of sexual harassment at McDonald’s first surfaced in the UK five years ago when the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) says it received 1,000 complaints. There was very little reporting of the allegations at the time – this could be because some cases were settled using confidentiality clauses.

Sarah Woolley, BFAWU’s general secretary, said the new allegations uncovered by the BBC were “shocking”.

Alistair Macrow, chief executive of McDonald’s UK & Ireland, said there was “simply no place for harassment, abuse, or discrimination” at the company.

“Every one of the 177,000 employees in McDonald’s UK deserves to work in a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace. There are clearly instances where we have fallen short and for that we deeply apologise,” he told the BBC.

“We will investigate all allegations brought to us, and all proven breaches of our code of conduct will be met with the most severe measures we can legally impose, up to and including dismissal.”

Mr Macrow said that more than 2,000 managers had completed full awareness training and that most restaurant teams were now working within the new protections which aim to create “a safe and respectful workplace”. He added that the company has stringent rules to ensure its workplaces around the world are safe and respectful.

Have you been affected by issues covered in this story? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

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If you have been affected by any of the issues in this story, information and support is available via the BBC Action Line.

Some of the names in this story have been changed to protect identities.

Additional reporting by George Dabby.