Despite the strides of the #MeToo Movement, many women in New York still endure sexual harassment at work. In various jobs, preying on women becomes a part of the workplace culture. For example, nearly three-quarters of the female workers at McDonald’s have reported that they’ve experienced sexual harassment while on the job. Unfortunately, this behavior seems to be an ingrained part of the culture at the fast-food company’s franchises.
New Yorkers may be shocked by the types of misconduct many women experienced at McDonald’s. A significant number of responders reported that co-workers and supervisors made sexual demands of them as a condition of promotions or extra hours. Other workers reported being threatened when they turned down sexual advances. Some of those encounters ended in sexual assault or rape. Sexually suggestive comments and looks from co-workers are routine for nearly all female employees of the company.
While McDonald’s claims that it is committed to a harassment-free workplace, it also disputes the premise behind the poll. The company noted that the sample size of the survey was only a small fraction of the female employees of all of the franchises. To workplace safety advocates, this response misses the point and hides behind numbers as a means of avoiding some of the specific horrifying examples of conduct.
Workplace sexual harassment is illegal and can form the basis of a lawsuit against an employer. Employees who have been forced to experience harassing treatment may be able to receive financial compensation in a lawsuit. With help from an employment law attorney, a worker could learn more about their legal rights and how they can take action.
