Human Rights

Applicable Throughout McDonald’s Corporation & Its Majority-Owned Subsidiaries

• Human Rights Policy (PDF – 120 KB)
• Standards of Business Conduct
• Global Statement of Principles Against Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation (PDF – 272 KB)*
• Global Workplace Violence Statement of Principles (PDF – 144 KB)

Applicable Throughout the Company & McDonald’s Restaurants

• Responsible and Ethical Recruitment Principles (PDF – 205 KB)*

Applicable Throughout McDonald’s Restaurants

• People Brand Standards*

Applicable Throughout McDonald’s Supply Chain

• Supplier Code of Conduct (PDF – 102 KB)*
• Commitment on Forests and Natural Ecosystems (PDF – 126 KB)*

* Includes guidance specific to populations most vulnerable to human rights violations, such as migrant workers and young workers.

Child labor is defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical, social or mental development and/or that interferes with their schooling. Age limits for work are determined by reference to applicable law and the type of work involved.

McDonald’s recognizes the risk of child labor extends across our System, and in response, we have adopted measures to help mitigate these risks, which are periodically evaluated. In addition, McDonald’s recognizes that those who are eligible to work, otherwise known as young workers, need positive and safe job opportunities; McDonald’s believes in creating these types of opportunities for young workers.

For Company Employees & Franchisees

We believe it’s important that restaurant leaders have the resources needed to foster a culture of safety for employees and to maintain compliance with all labor laws. By adopting and sharing good practice guidance, McDonald’s aims to encourage Franchisees to consider implementing these practices.

Franchisees are encouraged and supported in different ways across the System, including, but not limited to, the following, to the extent permitted by applicable law:

• Have written policies and procedures regarding proper practices for employing young workers.
• Regularly engage with managers about such policies and procedures to help them feel comfortable with execution.
• Regularly engage with employees so they are aware of applicable restrictions and limitations.
• Regularly self-audit to help ensure employees are not working too many hours in a day or week.
• Use signage to indicate equipment that may not be appropriate for employees under a certain age.
• Use distinct hats or shirts to help easily indicate which employees have age-based restrictions.
• Obtain any necessary state-level work permits and/or send appropriate notification letters (for example, to the employee’s school district) and keep them on file.
• Optional live-learning led by McDonald’s for Franchisees.

For Suppliers

McDonald’s Supplier Code of Conduct states that suppliers shall ensure no underage labor, as defined in the Code, has been used in the production or distribution of their goods or services. McDonald’s Supplier Workplace Standards and Guidance Document requires that suppliers prohibit young workers (considered to be between the ages of 15 and 18) from performing any work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm their health, safety, or interfere with their education.

McDonald’s Supplier Code of Conduct also includes a protocol regarding employing young workers and immediate corrective actions that should be taken should underage labor be identified. It states that if underage labor is found, suppliers should take immediate remedial action in partnership with a service provider focused on underage labor prevention and remediation. This child labor remediation protocol was developed with support from third-party experts and includes guidance around conducting root cause investigation, creating time-bound remediation plans and ongoing support and monitoring. When needed, McDonald’s can leverage third-party support on behalf of its suppliers through The Centre for Child Rights and Business.

In response to worrying trends associated with migrant child labor in U.S. supply chains, McDonald’s partnered with other members of AIM-Progress, a forum of leading consumer goods companies focused on promoting responsible sourcing practices. AIM-Progress has commissioned various third-party expert organizations to create tools that can help prevent risks to vulnerable workers, including children.

Data privacy is defined as the right of an individual to have some control over how their personal information is collected and used. Personal information generally means information that identifies or can reasonably be linked to an individual. Data privacy and protection laws, which vary by country, are designed to help protect personal information.

McDonald’s respects the personal information of all individuals, whether they are customers, employees or employees of Franchisees and suppliers. We seek to comply with all applicable data privacy and protection laws through our Global Privacy Program, which consists of policies, standards, procedures and guidelines and incorporates both regulatory and ethical considerations. These policies include the McDonald’s Global Personal Information Governance Policy and McDonald’s Global Customer Privacy Statement.

Like all McDonald’s governance and guidance, our data privacy policies, standards, procedures and guidelines will continue to evolve with the changing regulatory and technological environment.

Discrimination is treating someone or a group of people differently because of certain characteristics, including sex, ethnicity, gender identity, military or veteran status, citizenship or any other group status protected by applicable laws. Harassment is any type of unwelcome conduct based upon the aforementioned characteristics and other protected characteristics by applicable laws.¹ This includes gender-based violence and sexual harassment.

McDonald’s sets the expectation that it is unacceptable for anyone to experience discrimination or harassment while working, dining or interacting with McDonald’s in any way. Through our People Brand Standards and Global Statement of Principles Against Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation (PDF – 200 KB), we outline our commitment to non-discrimination and non-harassment.

For Crew & Customers

Our People Brand Standards help foster SRIWs that protect the physical and psychological safety of all crew and customers. The standards focus on four key areas: protecting employee health and safety; preventing workplace violence; preventing harassment, discrimination and retaliation; and listening to restaurant employee feedback. All McDonald’s restaurants are a part of this program.

Our Global Statement of Principles Against Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation outlines the policy criteria required of all Company-owned and operated restaurant employees and Corporate Staff, applying whether on McDonald’s property, at Company-sponsored events or off-site with other employees, contractors or vendors. It sets out expectations on workplace conduct, manager responsibilities, employee resources and investigation processes. These principles help protect Company employees against inappropriate actions that are unwanted or that create an intimidating, offensive, unsafe or hostile work environment or retaliation for raising concerns of such discrimination or harassment. We do not tolerate harassment by, or of, employees and non-employees. The Statement is also provided for optional use by Franchisees based on their respective locations and circumstances.

We encourage and enable employees to, freely and without consequence to themselves, report instances of harassment, discrimination or other violations of applicable policies. As part of the People Brand Standards, McDonald’s sets an expectation that, inside every restaurant, contact information to report a concern is visibly communicated to all crew and managers.

McDonald’s restaurant employees are trained to create a safe, respectful environment for anyone visiting a restaurant, including our customers. McDonald’s promotes customer-facing surveys on many receipts. Some restaurants have also deployed their own customer feedback mechanisms, and McDonald’s makes customer-facing contact information available at the restaurant, national and global levels. These mechanisms provide avenues for customers to raise complaints about discrimination or harassment if experienced at a McDonald’s restaurant.

For Suppliers

McDonald’s Supplier Code of Conduct promotes anti-discrimination, anti-harassment and anti-abuse. It requires suppliers to promote and maintain a workplace free from discrimination and treat their employees with fairness, dignity and respect.

The Supplier Code of Conduct and Supplier Workplace Standards and Guidance Document further detail requirements on anti-discrimination, anti-harassment and anti-abuse, including the following:

• Providing an environment free from discrimination is essential for maintaining a positive workplace and complying with law. All individuals in the workplace are to be treated with fairness, dignity and respect.
• All employment decisions (including hiring, compensation, training, promotion, termination and retirement) are based on job-related criteria and not on a person’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, national/ethnic/social origin, gender identity or expression, union membership, political affiliation, marital or pregnancy status, pre-employment medical exams or any additional protected classes by law.
• Workers who are pregnant should be offered alternative working accommodations as necessary and appropriate, including modified hours and break schedules.
• Under no circumstances can workers be subjected to medical testing, including HIV and pregnancy testing (either before or during employment), unless testing is required for workers to safely perform their jobs.
• No form of physical, sexual, psychological or verbal abuse and intimidation shall be tolerated or permitted.
• Security practices are gender appropriate and non-intrusive.

We aim to create a world-class employee experience with ample learning and development opportunities.

Education and employment creation are crucial for our business as they can help lead to happier, more fulfilled employees, which can have a direct influence on the customer experience. Across most markets, McDonald’s provides opportunities for economic inclusion of workers from typically underserved communities, such as workers who left high school before receiving their diploma.

We share our efforts to develop talent, such as through Hamburger University^® and our Archways to Opportunity education program, on our website. We also help reduce barriers to employment for young people through our Youth Opportunity program, which includes support for readiness training and workplace development programs.

We provide and support access to effective remedy channels through grievance mechanisms and other appropriate channels that are transparent and accessible to all workers, customers and communities.

Enabling people to report any alleged violations of their rights, in safety and without fear of retribution, is an integral part of supporting and championing human rights. McDonald’s primary grievance mechanism is the Business Integrity Line, a global channel with extensive language and anonymous reporting capabilities (where permitted by law) that can be used by Company employees, employees of business partners (such as suppliers or Franchisees), customers and community members. Regardless of who uses the Business Integrity Line to raise a complaint, all complaints received are reviewed, and complainants are protected from retaliation by our Standards of Business Conduct, Global Non-Retaliation Policy, and Global Statement of Principles Against Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation. We do not tolerate retaliation of any kind, including unlawful threats, intimidation, physical or legal attacks against anyone who reports an issue to McDonald’s, including human rights defenders.²

For Company Employees & Franchisees

Encouraging honest communication with managers and human resources (HR) representatives, as well as providing anonymous channels for Company employees to report concerns, are key ways we support access to effective remedy channels.

We take all concerns that are raised seriously. We will not impede state-based grievance processes via our employee system, and we do not require Company employees to waive their right to use such external mechanisms. We do not tolerate retaliation of any kind, including unlawful threats, intimidation, physical or legal attacks, against anyone who reports an issue to McDonald’s. We provide access to remediation of adverse human rights impacts and encourage our suppliers and Franchisees to do the same, recognizing this commitment should not obstruct access to other remedies.

Each of our International Operated Markets (IOMs) has HR staff who are responsible for handling concerns in an appropriate and timely manner. This process may include investigating complaints, interviewing witnesses, reviewing documentation and determining next steps.

In the U.S. market, several grievance mechanisms are available. Company-owned and operated restaurant employees can report concerns or complaints to their restaurant’s General Manager or Operations Consultant, HR Consultant or HR Manager, Workplace Investigation team or the Business Integrity Line. We also provide Company-owned and operated restaurant employees with third-party Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) such as the McResource Line and the Employee Resource Connection. These EAPs offer services such as counseling, referrals and other support, and are free and confidential.

Following the successful launch of a dedicated Workplace Investigations team in the U.S., McDonald’s is now scaling it to new geographies. Established to investigate and remediate discrimination, harassment, retaliation and workplace violence concerns for company-owned restaurant employees and Corporate Staff, the team drives company values and supports SRIWs by conducting fair and consistent investigations into workplace conduct concerns raised by employees, leveraging data and insights to help inform McDonald's risk mitigation strategies.

For Suppliers

Guided by the UNGPs, McDonald’s Supplier Workplace Standards and Guidance Document provides a step-by-step best practice process to help suppliers establish an effective grievance mechanism. Through the Supplier Code of Conduct, we require suppliers to establish internal grievance mechanisms and provide their workers with their own robust internal procedures to raise issues. Our Business Integrity Line, and an email contact to reach the SCHR Global Management team, is open to suppliers and their employees if they suspect or become aware of any alleged breaches of the Supplier Code of Conduct. The Code explicitly states that the supplier’s grievance mechanism program must allow for anonymous reports.

McDonald’s likewise has taken steps to prevent retaliation in its supply chain through contractual safeguards with suppliers, including Supplier Code of Conduct adherence.

Forced labor can be understood as any work or service that is done involuntarily and under threat of penalty, which can include sanctions, threat or use of physical violence, coercion, debt and restrictions on workers’ freedom, including preventing them from moving freely outside the workplace.

McDonald’s takes steps to ensure we do not engage in human trafficking or exploitation and works diligently to prevent the importation of goods tainted by slavery or human trafficking. This includes conducting heightened human rights due diligence in geographies determined to be higher risk. The Company has a policy against using any form of slave, forced, bonded or indentured labor.

For Company Employees & Franchisees

McDonald’s is committed to preventing forced labor and upholding responsible and ethical recruitment standards.

We maintain Responsible and Ethical Recruitment Principles, which are available in 17 languages and outline the Company’s commitment to working toward five global recruitment standards:

• Workers do not pay recruitment fees, whether to a private labor broker/employment agent or to the employer itself.
• Workers are provided contracts in a language fully understandable by the workers at the point of recruitment and prior to deployment.
• McDonald’s and our Franchisees do not keep or withhold any government-issued identification, monetary deposits, bonding or other collateral as a condition of employment.
• If workers reside in employer-provided housing, there must be a plan for the management of safe housing and accommodation, including that it is fit for purpose and in good repair.
• McDonald’s and our Franchisees apply these standards to themselves and to third parties recruiting and/or managing labor on their behalf. We make our Responsible and Ethical Recruitment Principles available to other third-party contractors to educate them on our responsible recruitment standards and encourage them to develop similar policies and procedures for their own business operations.

These standards apply to migrant labor recruiting practices across McDonald’s and its majority-owned subsidiaries and to Franchisees. This commitment is informed by the Employer Pays Principle.

Guided by the UNGPs, McDonald’s undertakes risk-based due diligence to identify, address and mitigate adverse human rights-related impacts. Wherever practical, McDonald’s hires workers directly. Where this is not possible, McDonald’s will take steps to select agencies that operate responsibly and agree to abide by our Responsible and Ethical Recruitment Principles. Furthermore, McDonald’s has adopted practices and procedures to address hidden recruitment fees so that migrant workers don’t pay such fees and are hired in accordance with our principles.

For Suppliers

Fundamental to our Supplier Code of Conduct is an expectation of ethical employment practices by our suppliers and their supply chains, including for temporary, part-time and full-time workers directly employed, and indirect and contracted service providers’ employees. Our Code and Supplier Workplace Standards and Guidance Document clearly prohibit any form of slave, forced, bonded, indentured or prison labor. Suppliers shall not engage in human trafficking or exploitation, or import goods tainted by slavery or human trafficking. We also expect our suppliers to provide their own internal reporting mechanisms to ensure their employees have a safe and timely way to report workplace concerns without fear of retaliation.

On-site audits include a review of ethical recruitment practices to verify that workers are employed under voluntary conditions and have freedom of movement. This includes verification that:

• Workers must not pay any form of recruitment fees – whether to a private labor broker/employment agent or to the employer itself.
• Worker contracts are in the local language and signed by the worker.
• Suppliers do not retain workers’ government-issued identification, passports or work permits.
• Migrant workers receive pay that is equal with local workers for equal work.
• Suppliers must have a documented process to check all publicly available national governmental lists or registries that document forced labor violations, such as, but not limited to, Brazil’s Ministry of Labor and Employment Registration of Employers who violate Article 149 of Brazil’s Criminal Code.

Freedom of Association includes the right of employees to interact and organize among themselves to collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests, and to choose not to do so. Collective bargaining is a voluntary process through which employers and workers discuss and negotiate their relations, in particular terms and conditions of work.

As stated in our Human Rights Policy (PDF – 120 KB), we respect the right to freedom of association (or not) and collective bargaining. We also value having meaningful, direct dialogue with our employees. Listening to our crew directly is key to understanding their experiences and perspectives and to understanding whether they are receiving the support they need in their work.

As stated in our Supplier Code of Conduct (PDF – 1.3 MB) and our Supplier Workplace Standards and Guidance Document, we look to establish and foster long-term relationships across our System with Franchisees, suppliers and other business partners who respect the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining and the importance and value of having meaningful, direct dialogue with their employees.

At McDonald’s, we believe in the power of our Golden Rule: treating everyone with dignity, fairness and respect, always. This belief, grounded in our values, is at the heart of everything we do.

Our values guide our commitment to putting people first and creating access to opportunity for everyone – whether it’s our customers, employees, Franchisees or suppliers. As a company, we are dedicated to doing what’s right. We strive to be a trusted presence in the places we call home, growing together and building connections that help make everyone feel welcome, respected and part of something bigger.

We believe inclusion has a clear basis in human rights and respect it accordingly. We take steps to help embed inclusion into many aspects of our operations because we believe promoting these principles within our Company and society more broadly are mutually reinforcing goals.

We publish robust reporting through our website and annual Purpose & Impact Report, capturing how we foster inclusion and showcase our Inclusion strategy.

Land rights include rights to control, transfer, occupy, enjoy and use land and resources – including rights to use natural resources, water and other related resources that support a community’s livelihood. This includes both formal and customary land use rights.

We aim to help preserve and regenerate nature, support biodiversity and other ecosystem services, and engage the communities and farmers closest to natural ecosystems to build resilience together and to help manage nature-related risks. This includes human rights-related risks.

McDonald’s partnered with Hendata SRL and the Federation for the Self-Determination of Indigenous Peoples to demarcate five Indigenous communities, supported by the Association of Indigenous Cooperation Services. This work helped ensure free, prior and informed consent from the Indigenous communities, brought together public and private actors, and helped protect community land rights as recognized by the national government.

Our Commitment on Forests and Natural Ecosystems (PDF – 126 KB) is applicable across our supply chain and prioritizes commodities and regions where we believe we can deliver the greatest impact. Importantly, our commitment extends beyond forests to other areas, intending to help safeguard the people and communities globally who depend on these natural spaces.

Our Supplier Code of Conduct requires suppliers to ensure all land leasing, utilization and acquisition is aligned with the International Finance Corporation Performance Standards, including free, prior and informed consent practices. Suppliers are required to conduct due diligence aligned with local, national and international standards of land tenure. Our Code strictly prohibits harassment, intimidation, criminalization and/or violence toward Indigenous peoples or their representatives and human rights, environmental and land defenders.

Nutrition relates to the human right to health, to access vital nutrients, to prevent malnutrition and to access adequate food in sufficient quantities to satisfy people’s dietary needs.

We’re taking a holistic approach to nutrition – considering everything from the ingredients we source to how we design and promote our menu. At the same time, we are committed to clear, transparent communication and understanding the most effective touchpoints to reach our customers.

In line with our values, we’ve helped make balanced meals more accessible globally by improving the nutritional profile of the average Happy Meal^® and offering options that contain recommended food groups, such as fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy.

We’re always listening to our customers and gathering insights on their changing tastes and preferences. As we look to the future, McDonald’s will continue to evaluate how our strategy can evolve to meet changing customer needs and preferences, building on the progress we have made to date. Learn more on the Nutrition page.

When we consider occupational health and safety, we mean maintaining a safe work environment for employees through practices, procedures and training that foster a culture of safety and help prevent workplace injuries.

For Company Employees & Franchisees

McDonald’s is committed to providing a safe working environment in our Company-owned and operated restaurants and supporting our Franchisees in doing the same in their restaurants. McDonald’s promotes regulatory compliance and safety governance through operational, equipment and building standards. Additionally, McDonald’s maintains a safe working environment by employing safety-related practices, procedures and training in areas such as, but not limited to, CO₂ safety, fire prevention and protection, slip and fall prevention, electrical safety, chemical safety, proper lifting, emergency exits and personal protective equipment. Templates for incident management, extreme weather plans and evacuation maps are also available. McDonald’s assesses safety compliance globally through the Operations PACE “Running Great Restaurants” program.

For Suppliers

McDonald’s Supplier Code of Conduct specifies that suppliers must ensure all workers receive communication and training on emergency planning and safe work practices. In addition, suppliers must have systems to prevent, detect and respond to potential risks to the safety, health and security of all employees, visitors and contractors. Workers must have access to safety equipment, emergency first aid kits, clean drinking water and sanitary restrooms. Exits should be marked, unblocked and unlocked, and evacuation routes should be well marked. This is supported by a detailed list of expectations in our Supplier Code of Conduct and Supplier Workplace Standards and Guidance Document covering Workplace Environment considerations across the workplace and accommodation (if provided).

In 2021, McDonald’s included its Critical Health and Safety Incident Response (CHSIR) Process in the Supplier Workplace Standards and Guidance Document. The objective of the CHSIR Process is to ensure that McDonald’s has a consistent methodology to address major health and safety incidents that occur within the supply chain. In 2022, McDonald’s developed and disseminated supplementary Health and Safety Guidance for Supplier Relationship Managers considering lessons learned and best practices developed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Later in 2022, McDonald’s collected and circulated examples of supplier best practices promoting positive workplace environment, covering topics such as proactive management of workplace safety incidents, preventing blocked emergency exits and leveraging communication to promote workplace safety.

“Working conditions” covers a broad range of topics from working time (e.g., hours of work, rest periods and work schedules) and remuneration and wages to conditions related to the promotion of work–life balance.

It also includes equal pay considerations, and at McDonald’s, we believe in compensating employees fairly, regardless of gender or any other protected characteristic. Read more about our commitment to equal pay on our Inclusion page.

For Company Employees & Franchisees

Providing a best-in-class employee experience is a business imperative because it directly impacts the customer experience.

To attract and retain talent at all levels of the business in Company-owned restaurants and our staff offices, we provide competitive compensation commensurate with a Company employee’s position. We evaluate competitive wage data and market trends to determine appropriate wage ranges and aim to comply with all applicable wage and hour laws.

We offer competitive benefits to individuals employed by McDonald’s Corporation and its majority-owned subsidiaries worldwide, and offer resources to our Franchisees to support them in designing competitive benefits packages for their employees. In most countries, we offer benefits to full- and part-time Company employees working more than a certain number of hours. Our Global People teams work to identify the needs of Corporate Staff and Company-owned and operated restaurant employees in different countries, creating locally relevant and competitive benefits packages.

Well-being can mean different things in different areas of the world, and working toward ensuring our employees are happy and healthy across the globe is something we champion. Our BeWell@McD internal web page is designed to support the Company’s leaders across the globe in developing a well-being strategy, providing frameworks and tools they can leverage and adapt to bring the brand to life locally.

We limit our use of arbitration, noncompetition and nondisclosure covenants as follows:

• We do not and will not, as a condition of employment, require mandatory arbitration of harassment and discrimination claims.
• Leadership within the Officer level signs noncompetition covenants, but we do not require, as a condition of employment, any employee below the Officer level to sign post-termination, noncompetition covenants, except in very limited situations, as authorized by the Chief Legal Officer. These would include an employee who has unique skills, knowledge or access to intellectual property, trade secrets or highly confidential customer information that would provide a competitor with an advantage (e.g., complex knowledge regarding menu innovation or critical technology applications or systems).
• In the event that McDonald’s seeks a nondisclosure covenant (where permissible by law) in connection with the settlement of a harassment or discrimination claim brought by an employee or former employee against an officer of McDonald’s Corporation, we will provide notice of such arrangement to the Board of Directors for appropriate oversight.

For Suppliers

McDonald’s also holds suppliers accountable for creating positive working conditions through our Supplier Code of Conduct, which:

• Requires workers to have at least one day off every seven days.
• Prohibits involuntary overtime.
• Obligates suppliers to ensure their workers are paid the lawful minimum wage, including overtime, premium pay and equal pay for equal work without discrimination.
• Stipulates that wages be paid and benefits are to be issued in a consistent, lawful and timely manner.
• Prohibits disciplinary deductions from pay.

Detailed guidance and best practice examples to uphold and implement these expectations are shared with suppliers through our Supplier Workplace Standards and Guidance Document.

McDonald’s values opportunities to partner with suppliers to move beyond compliance and foster workplaces that support workers and their families. With McDonald’s support, several Happy Meal^® toy manufacturing facilities in China and Vietnam partnered with the Ethical Supply Chain Program (ESCP) to establish Family-Friendly Spaces (FFS) in their workplaces. Through the provision of quality childcare and family support services, FFS enable suppliers to meet the needs of their workforce, supporting working parents and strengthening family well-being.

Workplace security involves ensuring reasonable measures are in place to protect a person’s physical security from violence.

We believe we all have a responsibility to protect the security of employees and anyone who enters a McDonald’s restaurant. We strive to foster secure working environments for crews and safe experiences for customers. Our People Brand Standards include multiple aspects intended to mitigate workplace violence (e.g., having policies in place and communicating those to employees, conducting workplace violence prevention training and having reporting mechanisms in place for employees to report concerns). All restaurants are assessed on each criterion in accordance with the applicable McDonald’s market’s business evaluation processes. Read more about our People Brand Standards on our Safe & Respectful Workplaces page.

Our commitment to respecting the safety of people is incorporated in our policies, Codes of Conduct and guiding principles, including:

• Global Workplace Violence Statement of Principles (PDF – 144 KB)
• Global Statement of Principles Against Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation (PDF – 272 KB)

McDonald’s Global Security team is responsible for supporting the implementation of workplace violence prevention under McDonald’s People Brand Standards, as well as developing, disseminating and supporting capacity-development of best practices.

Regardless of location or circumstances, the McDonald’s Global Crisis Management standard, LEAD through Crisis, helps ensure the System responds to crises in a consistent, coordinated and controlled way that prioritizes protecting people, safeguarding our Brand and ensuring operational excellence. The standard has been fully adopted across the U.S. and IOMs, with resources also made available to IDLs. McDonald's Global Security Crisis Management Center of Excellence (COE) hosts a suite of resources to help mitigate and manage crises, including 24/7 alerting. The COE conducts biannual tabletop exercises at global and segment level and hosts quarterly Crisis Conversations for Crisis team peer sharing.

Global Security also manages the Safety and Security Endorsed Equipment list, featuring approved equipment solutions reflecting best practices throughout the McDonald’s System, vetted to address safety and security needs. Each solution is accompanied by policy and guidance materials.

The risk of workplace violence varies from restaurant to restaurant. McDonald’s encourages markets to periodically analyze their restaurants to understand which locations are at most risk of violence. To support locations at increased risk, McDonald’s provides an optional coaching resource designed to mitigate the risks of workplace violence. This resource is designed to be delivered and facilitated by a designated security and safety SME or operations consultant/supervisor. The resource is flexible and can be used for crew and managers in pre-emptive sessions, post-incident refreshers or for general awareness as a topic at larger operations meetings.

• The success of McDonald’s is built, in part, on our strong relationships with suppliers, all of whom are expected to respect fundamental human rights. We focus on long‑term partnerships and work closely with our suppliers to help them uphold the highest standards for protecting human rights. We require them to comply with McDonald’s Corporation Supplier Code of Conduct and associated guidance, which include requirements regarding respecting human rights (including a prohibition on slave and forced labor) and following practices that protect their employees’ health and safety.
• To help mitigate human rights risks across our wider business, we conduct appropriate due diligence before onboarding any supplier. The Supplier Code of Conduct, embedded within supplier agreements, explicitly outlines expectations around human rights and ethical behavior.
• All the ingredients on the Company’s menu are sourced from approved suppliers who must adhere to independently audited quality standards, including their approach to mitigating the risk of human rights violations, including modern slavery.
• When onboarding prospective suppliers, they must complete a verification process to show they meet our expectations. This includes completion of a rigorous annual self-assessment questionnaire to appraise their current systems and practices, in which they produce a report indicating areas for improvement. Based on the self-assessment questionnaire and other risk factors, prospective suppliers may be asked to complete an on-site SMETA 4-pillar audit.
• The Supplier Code of Conduct is the cornerstone of the global SCHR program, which aims to help suppliers understand McDonald’s expectations, verify compliance with our expectations and work toward continuous improvement.
• The Supplier Code of Conduct applies to all suppliers in McDonald’s supply chain. We expect suppliers, including any supplier-owned or -managed facilities, to hold their supply chain, including subcontractors and third-party labor agencies, to the same standards contained in this Code. All instances of noncompliance must be remediated in an appropriate and timely manner.
• The SCHR program engages several social compliance auditing firms around the world to conduct Sedex SMETA third-party audits of facilities, worker housing and cafeterias. These audits investigate such concerns as recruitment fees, discrimination, wrongful confiscation of personal documents and other human rights considerations that McDonald’s seeks to eliminate from its supply chain.
• McDonald’s approved the qualifications for 13 independent audit firms to conduct Sedex SMETA audits.
• Sedex SMETA audits conducted on behalf of McDonald’s are semi-announced, in that auditors will communicate a two-month window during which the visit will take place. McDonald’s has found this to be the most effective approach for supporting supplier readiness while maintaining benefits of unannounced audits. All audits include worker interviews in line with the SMETA process. The scope of the audit includes sub-contracted workers on-site.
• Instances of noncompliance are shared with individual suppliers, who must then produce and implement a corrective and preventive action plan. This must outline specific timeframes within which corrective action will be taken, root causes analyzed, and policies and procedures updated. In instances of significant noncompliance, suppliers are subject to a follow-up audit.
• McDonald’s SCHR program is designed to support suppliers in meeting our standards. We prioritize continuous improvement, capacity-building and corrective actions. However, in certain circumstances, such as instances of significant noncompliance with the Code, McDonald’s may remove a supplier from the supply chain.
• In addition to training, auditing and other aspects of the SCHR program, we require suppliers to establish internal grievance mechanisms and provide their workers with their own robust internal procedures to raise issues. Guided by the UNGPs, our Supplier Workplace Standards and Guidance Document provides a step-by-step best practice process to help suppliers establish an effective grievance mechanism. Our Business Integrity Line, and an email address to reach the SCHR Global Management team, is open to suppliers and their employees if they suspect or become aware of any alleged breaches to our Code. Our Code explicitly states that the supplier’s reporting program must protect the worker’s confidentiality and must prohibit retaliation in response to reporting issues.
• The McDonald’s Supplier Led program has been established to build partnerships with strong brands and exempt them from the McDonald’s SCHR program if they demonstrate a strong responsible sourcing program with effective risk management practices, such that McDonald’s can satisfy exercise of care requirements. The basis underlying the McDonald’s Supplier Led program is that strong brands have a significant interest in looking after their own reputation and therefore are more likely to invest in programs to proactively manage their social responsibility risk. McDonald’s will invite suppliers to participate in the evaluation process based on a set of predefined criteria.
• To continue upholding our standards for respecting human rights, we look to better understand the human rights risk associated with the various commodities we source. In 2018, we engaged an external provider to conduct a Human Rights Impact Assessment at the farm level. The assessment enabled us to identify that, of all the commodities we source, palm oil, tea, coffee and timber present the greatest risk of exposure to human rights concerns, with occupational health and safety, migrant workers and decent working time identified as the most salient risks. Since 2018, we have refreshed these findings for key commodities in 2020 and 2021 and updated recommendations through stakeholder engagement. Active engagement in industry groups and certification schemes keeps us informed of the latest risk trends and mitigation measures across priority commodities and geographies.