McDonald’s Outlines People Brand Standards to Ensure Safe, Inclusive Restaurants Worldwide

McDonald’s corporate Safe & Respectful Workplaces page lays out People Brand Standards meant to “promote safe, respectful and inclusive workplaces that help protect the physical and psychological safety of all restaurant employees,” and says those standards apply across all McDonald’s restaurants in more than 100 countries. The company’s network includes about 39,000 restaurants worldwide, roughly 93% of which are owned and operated by franchise owners, and Nation’s Restaurant News reported that McDonald’s would begin evaluating market compliance in January 2022.

The company frames implementation as a mixture of mandatory standards and optional supports. McDonald’s says restaurants “must implement these standards and are assessed on each criterion in accordance with the applicable local evaluation processes,” while the Company is responsible for ensuring Company-owned restaurants implement the standards and “supports Franchisees with a suite of optional tools, resources, policies and training” to help meet the expectations. McDonald’s also states implementation will be supported by “a suite of policies, tools, trainings and reporting mechanisms.”

Training and prevention programs are a core part of the rollout. McDonald’s reports it “reimagined our Safe, Respectful and Inclusive Workplace training,” launching it in over 50 markets and making it available in more than 40 languages; that training is offered optionally to Franchisees to help them meet People Brand Standards requirements. The company additionally says it “offers a suite of workplace violence prevention trainings to Company-owned and operated restaurants,” and that it will continue to work with independent and third-party experts in the U.S. and globally to support franchisees.

McDonald’s ties the standards to a broader human-rights framework. Its Human Rights Policy begins, “McDonald’s purpose is to feed and foster communities,” and states the policy is “rooted in the UN Guiding Principles (UNGPs).” The policy lists occupational health and safety, working conditions and workplace security among salient issues, explicitly prohibits the use of child labor, and names vulnerable groups — migrant workers, Indigenous Peoples, women, socially disadvantaged minority communities, persons with disabilities, and children and young people — that the company says it will pay particular attention to and take appropriate steps to respect.

The company’s internal compliance instruments draw distinctions in applicability. McDonald’s Standards of Business Conduct “apply to employees of McDonald’s Corporation and its majority-owned subsidiaries worldwide,” and the Standards “do not apply to our owner/operators, suppliers or their employees. However, as members of the McDonald’s System, we expect them to be aware of the Standards, to develop their own policies and procedures that are consistent with the spirit of the Standards and to fully support our employees in complying with the Standards.” The Standards also state, “All employees, agents, consultants, representatives and joint venture partners acting on behalf of McDonald’s or its controlled subsidiaries must fully comply with the provisions of the FCPA. We do not tolerate violations. Compliance is a condition of employment or association with our Company.”

McDonald’s leadership and outside experts have publicly endorsed the move. Chris Kempczinski, McDonald’s president and CEO, said: “There are no short cuts to ensuring that people feel safe, respected and included at a McDonald’s restaurant. This work starts by taking big, intentional moves,” … “Our new Global Brand Standards reinforce our commitment to living our values such that at every interaction, everyone is welcome, comfortable and safe.” Clara Kim, vice president of consulting services at RAINN, added: “Every company has a responsibility to create a safe environment for its employees and everyone who walks through its doors,” … “We commend McDonald’s for setting these standards to help ensure that everyone working at a McDonald’s restaurant is provided with a safe and respectful workplace and that all restaurants are held accountable for this important work.”

McDonald’s corporate materials point to related resources — the Human Rights page and the Purpose & Impact Report — and note related actions such as a CEO-ordered review of workplace safety policies. With a system of about 39,000 restaurants and roughly 93% franchised, McDonald’s has set a system-wide standard and a January 2022 compliance timeline; how local evaluation processes and optional franchise supports translate into on-the-ground enforcement remains the practical next step in the company’s stated rollout.