McDonald's top HR executive leaves after CEO's ouster

(Image credit: Alyssa Schukar/AP)

published 4 November 2019

Another McDonald's executive is leaving the company after its CEO was ousted over an inappropriate relationship with an employee.

The fast food chain on Sunday said its board of directors pushed out CEO Steve Easterbrook because he violated company policy by having a relationship with an employee. Now, the company's top human resources executive, Chief People Officer David Fairhurst, is also leaving, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

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While facing lawsuits from women alleging sexual harassment in the workplace, McDonald's in May announced it had "enhanced" its sexual harassment policy, with Easterbrook saying the company now "more clearly informs employees of their rights" and "more clearly defines sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation." McDonald's also set up a new hotline for employees. But Fight for $15, one of the groups that in May announced lawsuits against McDonald's for allegedly failing to prevent sexual misconduct in the workplace, said the Easterbrook case shows that the company's "culture is rotten from top to bottom."

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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