Is McDonald's ethical?

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Privacy & surveillance Confirmed Against

McDonald's exposes 64 million job records in breach

McDonald's AI-driven recruitment platform exposed 64 million job application records including names, email addresses, and phone numbers.

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yahoo.com
McDonald's AI-driven recruitment platform exposed 64 million job application records to security breaches, including names, email addresses, and phone numbers.

Media & the press Settlement Against

McDonald's settles $10 billion racial stereotyping lawsuit

McDonald's settles media entrepreneur Byron Allen's $10 billion racial stereotyping lawsuit.

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usatoday.com
McDonald's settles media entrepreneur Byron Allen's $10 billion racial stereotyping lawsuit
McDonald's resolves $10B lawsuit over black-owned media ad spending

Workplace equity Settlement Against

McDonald’s reached a settlement with the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices resolving allegations that it discriminated against immigrant employees of McDonald’s-owned restaurants

On November 19, 2015, the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (“OSC”) reached a settlement with McDonald’s USA, LLC and its corporate affiliates and subsidiaries (“McDonald’s”) resolving allegations that McDonald’s discriminated against immigrant employees of McDonald’s-owned restaurants.

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justice.gov
On November 19, 2015, the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (“OSC”) reached a settlement with McDonald’s USA, LLC and its corporate affiliates and subsidiaries (“McDonald’s”) resolving allegations that McDonald’s discriminated against immigrant employees of McDonald’s-owned restaurants.
The investigation and settlement only address actions by McDonald’s corporate-owned restaurants, not its franchises.
justice.gov
WHEREAS, on April 9, 2014, the Office of Special Counsel notified Respondent McDonald's USA that it was initiating an independent investigation, DJ# 197-23-752 (the "OSC Investigation"), to determine whether Respondents engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination in violation of the unfair immigration-related employment practices provision of 8 U.S.C.

Ukraine & Russia Confirmed You decide

McDonald’s donated $5 million to its Employee Assistance Fund in Ukraine

McDonald’s noted that it had “donated $5 million to our Employee Assistance Fund” in Ukraine, and was supporting International Red Cross relief efforts in the region.

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jpost.com
McDonald’s noted that it had “donated $5 million to our Employee Assistance Fund” in Ukraine, and was supporting International Red Cross relief efforts in the region.

LGBTQ+ policies Confirmed You decide

McDonald's franchise owners donated $35k to anti-trans legislation sponsors

McDonald's franchise owners donated $35,000 to 52 sponsors of anti-trans legislation since 2018 through the McDonald's Local Owner Operators of Arkansas PAC.

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finance.yahoo.com
Learn more on how McDonald's is investing in change: http://McD.to/6007RPHQt
businessinsider.com
Much like State Farm, McDonald's also proudly positions itself as a supportive ally of the LGBT+ community through various digital campaigns and media sponsorships, but McDonald's franchise owners donated a combined $35,000 to 52 of the sponsors of the anti-trans legislation since 2018 through the McDonald's Local Owner Operators of Arkansas PAC.
businessinsider.com
Meanwhile, in Arkansas, the McDonald's Local Owner Operators of Arkansas PAC gave $35,000 to 52 of the sponsors of the anti-trans legislation since 2018.
theguardian.com
Same-sex marriage support declared by McDonald's, Twitter and big four banks | Marriage equality | The Guardian

Workplace equity Settlement Against

McDonald's settles racial discrimination lawsuit

Two Black McDonald's executives filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against McDonald's in January 2020. The case resulted in a settlement.

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abcnews.com
District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 52 Black former McDonald's franchise owners say the company denied them the same opportunities as white franchisees, and steered them instead to "locations that are destined to fail."
fortune.com
The brothers, who are franchisees, are the lead plaintiffs in a suit seeking class action status, alleging McDonald’s growth strategy was “predatory.” The suit cites data from the National Black McDonald’s Operators Association finding that the cash flow gap between Black and white franchisees tripled between 2010 and 2019.
businessinsider.com
The lawsuit argues that both the franchisee — who owns and operates the Rock Island location — and McDonald's corporate should be held responsible.
businessinsider.com
She wrote that "raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour would increase wages for nearly 40% of Black workers." Restaurant workers in Florida and Illinois sued McDonald's, saying they faced racial discrimination on the job.
chicagotribune.com
Meanwhile another racial discrimination lawsuit brought by 77 Black former franchise owners against McDonald’s has been tied up in Chicago federal court for years, with the fast-food chain pursuing a motion to dismiss the case.
In January 2020, months before the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police ignited a national movement toward corporate diversity and inclusion programs, two Black McDonald’s executives filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the fast-food giant.
law360.com
McDonald's CEO Can Be Deposed In Race Bias Suit - Law360 Pulse
yahoo.com
In January 2020, months before the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police ignited a national movement toward corporate diversity and inclusion programs, two Black McDonald's executives filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the fast-food giant.
Meanwhile another racial discrimination lawsuit brought by 77 Black former franchise owners against McDonald's has been tied up in Chicago federal court for years, with the fast-food chain pursuing a motion to dismiss the case.
yahoo.com
U.S. District Judge Steven Seeger significantly narrowed the case Sunday, which included 480 claims against McDonald's. The ruling comes years after Black owners first accused McDonald's of steering them toward less profitable restaurants and follows a separate case in which McDonald's reached a $33.5 million settlement with Black franchise owner Herbert Washington.

Wages & economic policy Confirmed You decide

McDonald's halts lobbying against minimum wage hikes

McDonald's stopped lobbying to oppose minimum wage increases.

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inc.com
In a move that could have massive ramifications on salaries across the U.S., McDonald’s decided it won’t lobby against minimum-wage increases anymore.
politico.com
— McDonald’s says it won’t oppose minimum wage increases.
politico.com
Fast-food giant McDonald’s boosted congressional Democrats’ efforts to hike the minimum wage Tuesday by telling the National Restaurant Association that it will no longer participate in lobby efforts against minimum-wage hikes at the federal, state or local level.
Exclusive: McDonald's halts lobbying against minimum wage hikes
Exclusive: McDonald's halts lobbying against minimum wage hikes - POLITICO
politico.com
Workers at McDonald’s locations across the country, judging the fast-food giant’s decision last week to halt lobbying against minimum wage hikes to be insufficient, will protest tomorrow during the lunchtime rush in nearly a dozen cities.
The protests come in response to a letter McDonald’s sent last week to the National Restaurant Association stating that the company would no longer lobby against minimum-wage hikes at the federal, state or local level.

Israel & Palestine Confirmed You decide

McDonald's franchisees pledge humanitarian aid for Gaza

McDonald's franchisees in the Middle East and North Africa published statements supporting Palestinians and pledged donations to civilians affected by the Gaza conflict.

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africa.businessinsider.com
Two days later, McDonald's Oman said it had donated $100,000 to help the people of Gaza.
The conflict has divided McDonald's franchisees in the Middle East, who have taken to social media to show their support for Israeli troops or Palestinians in Gaza.
Two days later, McDonald's Oman, also known as Al Daud Restaurants LLC, said it had donated "$100,000 towards the relief efforts for the people of Gaza."
nypost.com
The Oman outpost said that it ” donated $100,000 towards the relief efforts for the people of Gaza,” adding that “McDonald’s Corporation never interferes in politics and always adheres to absolute neutrality and does not adopt any political positions for commercial interests around the world.”
business-humanrights.org
The majority of McDonald's franchisees in the Middle East and North Africa published statements in solidarity with Palestinians at the onset of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, with many pledging to donate to those suffering in the enclave.
newsweek.com
In October, McDonald's Malaysia announced it was donating 1 million Malaysian ringgits ($216,000) to a Palestinian humanitarian fund created through the country's government.

Labor & working conditions Confirmed Against

Workers forced to work at McDonald's UK restaurant and supply chain factory

Workers were forced to work at a McDonald's restaurant and a food factory supplying UK supermarket chains.

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nypost.com
A McDonald’s in the United Kingdom missed signs of modern slavery for years while a human trafficking gang forced victims to work at the burger joint as well as a nearby bread factory, according to a report.
cbsnews.com
were forced to work for several years in a McDonald's restaurant and a food factory supplying some of Britain's major supermarket chains, a BBC investigation has found, despite red flags that could have tipped off employers to the abuse.

Privacy & surveillance Confirmed Against

Applicant exposed personal data in McDonald's job application

An applicant may have exposed their name, phone number, email address, and physical address during a McDonald's job application.

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techspot.com
Facepalm: Almost anyone who applied to work at McDonald's earlier this year may have exposed their name, phone number, email address, physical address, and other personal information.