A manager at a McDonald’s branch in Northern Ireland allegedly discriminated against an Uber Eats driver, a leaked video shows, revealing concerns over the drivers’ English skills. THE Tutor revealed.

According to a 45-minute briefing for McDonald’s Antrim restaurant drivers, obtained by Worker Info Exchange and detailed in a report, the manager warned Uber Eats drivers, many of whom come from Eastern Europe and Asia of the South, that they had a “responsibility”. to improve (their) language and (their) communication”.

“You can’t walk up to the counter with your phone, point at your phone and say to the staff, ‘Where is this?’ » » adds the manager in the recording.

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The report, titled McMisery: the Uber/McDonald’s files – Algorithmic exploitation delivered to Northern Ireland also revealed that even when workers spoke English as a second language, they were criticized by McDonald’s, with managers telling drivers that the Romanian language seemed “harsh” and “abrupt” unlike English, which they called “softer”.

The manager also claimed in the video that his staff was afraid of Uber Eats drivers, adding that he “can’t let his staff complain” about the way the drivers spoke English. Drivers then received links to Google Translate.

In addition, the Worker Info Exchange claimed that the recording revealed serious problems in the joint management of personnel by Uber and McDonald’s, amounting to discrimination, intimidation and exploitation.

James Farrar, director of Worker Info Exchange, said: “Once again a rock has been lifted to expose the poor working conditions endured by gig workers in the north of Ireland.

“McDonald’s micro-manages its delivery workers in Antrim and Ballymena as direct employees, but then hides behind the Uber platform to avoid liability as an employer. For years, Uber has specialized in worker exploitation; now they’re selling access to their platform to help other large multinationals do the same.

A McDonald’s spokesperson told the Tutor that “respectful working relationships with couriers” were essential.

They added: “We encourage all of our restaurants and franchises to actively foster these relationships, as do our delivery partners with their couriers.

“We are discussing this specific case that has been brought to our attention with the franchisee organization and reminding them of best practices in creating respectful, positive and collaborative environments.

An Uber Eats spokesperson also told the Tutor: “Uber Eats couriers are self-employed and are free to work whenever and wherever they want. Calling a meeting of this nature is not something Uber tolerated or participated in. We are currently investigating and have contacted McDonald’s directly regarding this matter.

Impact on morale

“This incident highlights the need for cultural sensitivity toward everyone connected to a business, including entrepreneurs,” said Jade McEvoy, human resources consultant at AfterAthena. People management.

“By training all employees and ensuring that managers adopt culturally respectful communication, HR ensures respectful interactions that recognize the diversity of everyone’s backgrounds in the workplace, including those not directly employed by the organization. »

Ian Moore, chief executive of Lodge Court, said: “When managers make discriminatory remarks about languages ​​or cultures, it can seriously damage workplace morale, fostering an environment of exclusion and mistrust. Such behavior can lead to a feeling of alienation among employees and third-party workers, ultimately affecting productivity and retention. »

He added that, to address these challenges, companies should establish equitable language policies that clearly define English proficiency requirements for specific positions and communicate them effectively to all workers, incentivizing third-party contractors.

“Regular cultural sensitivity training should be implemented to help employees recognize and overcome unconscious bias, promoting a culture of inclusion and respect,” he said, adding that channels of Open communication was “essential,” allowing employees to discuss their language expectations and express concerns without “fear of retaliation.”

Incidents involving language bias can have a significant effect on morale, especially in customer-facing roles. In a recent Monster survey on workplace discrimination 90 percent of employees admitted to facing bias in the workplace. This discrimination can result in mistreatment of employees based on variables such as gender, nationality or religion.

According to Lucy Fitzgerald, CEO and founder of Fitzgerald HR, the tone of a company culture starts at the top: “When leaders or managers demonstrate any form of bias, such as discriminatory language or assumptions, it affects the morale and behavior of the team. »

She added that a lack of respect for diversity has led to higher turnover rates in the long term, as team members who lack a sense of belonging may look elsewhere. Additionally, she said organizations must take a “zero tolerance approach” to any activity that contradicts their commitment to diversity.

According to the 2021 census, one in ten people (9.9%) in England and Wales do not speak English as their first language.

Kate Palmer, director of employment services at Peninsula, said the modern workforce was “diverse and dynamic” and so cultural sensitivity was essential.

“Not only would this incident have upset those involved, but it could also damage the reputation of the organization and, in some circumstances, even lead to possible prosecution in court,” she explained, adding that it also highlighted the need for employers to be careful when interacting with third parties, ensuring that they “do not treat them as workers or even employees”.

Cultural biases in communication norms

Richenda Askew, training manager at Sterling Training, said the McDonald’s incident appeared to be a conflict of communication styles and a lack of understanding of cultural differences in communication style.

She said different nationalities and cultures have distinct communication styles. She observed that some are “direct and to the point,” which can come across as rude and disrespectful to some people, while others seem to fail to communicate their points, leaving much to be guessed at.

A McKinsey Report on diversity in the workplace suggests that cultural misunderstandings in communication are common but could be mitigated through sensitivity training.

Askew agreed and emphasized the relevance of cultural competency training because it helps participants understand themselves and others, prevents stereotyping, and encourages participants to think about behavior and communication from multiple perspectives.

“If our employees are customer-facing, it is essential to understand communication styles and cultural differences to create a greater tolerance for ambiguity and a greater awareness of different perspectives to ensure that the experience customer is exemplary,” she explained.

The role of HR in preventing bias

According to McEvoy, to establish an inclusive atmosphere, HR should make inclusion policies and training mandatory for all employees, rather than making them “nice to have.”

She added: “Establishing open feedback channels also allows HR to respond quickly to any concerns, demonstrating that every voice counts. By creating spaces where non-native speakers and all employees feel safe to share, HR reinforces a culture of respect and belonging.

McEvoy said this strategy ensured that everyone, regardless of language or background, felt “valued and included” and ensured the workplace was a “truly welcoming place for all”.

Likewise, Fitzgerald said balancing operational needs and inclusiveness “is not only possible, it’s essential.”

“We need to establish clear and objective guidelines for language proficiency, while remaining aware of the unconscious biases that can distort our judgment. For example, the way this McDonald’s manager describes Romanian as ‘hard’ while English is ‘soft’ reflects not an objective truth but a deeply subjective and biased perception,” she explained.

Fitzgerald added that to ensure such biases do not “seep into corporate culture,” leadership, HR and OD professionals must focus on developing standards that improve team effectiveness , without “belittling or ostracizing any group”.

Along the same lines, Moore suggested that HR departments play a vital role in creating an inclusive atmosphere by facilitating language learning through access to courses and mentoring programs.

A recent report from LinkedIn Learning pointed out, finding that organizations engaging in cultural and language training saw a 27 percent increase in employee retention and improved customer satisfaction, illustrating the potential benefits of these initiatives.

“Companies must create a diverse and harmonious workplace that values ​​and respects all individuals, regardless of their linguistic or cultural background,” Moore said.

Chris Preston, founder of The Culture Builders, said People management that the problem begins and ultimately ends with the manager: “There is no doubt that their behavior and attitude created a toxic environment, likely to encourage other team members to act similarly, or cause them to feel that the only way to be a team player is to subscribe to the same approaches. This highlights what we consider to be the founding principle of culture: leaders create it.

However, he said: “What is unclear is how far this goes within the McDonald’s Northern Ireland organization – many fast food outlets are franchises, therefore less connected to the central mark. »

Preston added that there needs to be more awareness of the power of diversity and how stores can encourage and utilize diversity, rather than positioning it as negative.

For more information, read the CIPD factsheet on communicating with employees