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

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

“You can’t go to the front counter with your phone and show your phone and say to the staff, ‘Where is this?’ adds the manager to the record.

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The report, titled McMisery: The Uber/McDonald’s Files – Algorithmic mining delivered to Northern Ireland also revealed that even when workers spoke English as a second language, they faced criticism from McDonald’s, with managers telling drivers that Romanian sounded “harsh” and “abrupt” in contrast to English, on who describe it as “softer”.

The manager also claimed in the video that their staff are afraid of Uber Eats drivers, adding that they “can’t have staff complaining about” the way the drivers speak English. The drivers were then given links to Google Translate.

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

James Farrar, director of the Worker Info Exchange, said: “Once again a stone has been raised to expose the appalling working conditions endured by workers in Northern Ireland.

“McDonald’s micro-manage their delivery workers in Antrim and Ballymena as direct employees but then hide behind the Uber platform to avoid their responsibility as employers. For years Uber has specialized in exploiting workers; now they sell access to their platform to help other large multinationals do the same.”

A McDonald’s spokesman said Tutor that “respectful working relationships with couriers” were essential.

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

“We are discussing this specific case 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 said Tutor: “Uber Eats couriers are self-employed and free to work when and where they choose. Convening such a meeting is not something Uber agreed to and did not attend. We are currently investigating and have contacted McDonald’s directly regarding this matter.”

Impact on morale

“This incident highlights the need for cultural sensitivity towards everyone connected to a business, including contractors,” said Jade McEvoy, people consultant at AfterAthena. People management.

“By training all employees and ensuring managers lead in culturally sensitive communication, HR ensures respectful interactions that recognize the diverse backgrounds of everyone in the workplace, including those not directly employed by the organization.”

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

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

“Regular cultural sensitivity training should be implemented to help employees recognize and overcome unconscious biases, promoting a culture of inclusion and respect,” he said, adding that open communication channels are “vital,” allowing employees to discuss about language expectations and to express their concerns without “fear of reprisal”.

Incidents involving language bias can have a significant effect on morale, particularly in customer-facing roles. One Recent Monster Survey on Workplace Discrimination 90 percent of employees admitted to having experienced injuries at work. This discrimination can appear as 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 workplace culture starts at the top: “When leaders or managers exhibit any form of bias, such as discriminatory language or assumptions, it trickles down to team morale and behavior . “

She added that a lack of respect for diversity has led to higher turnover rates in the long run, as team members who lack a sense of belonging may look elsewhere. Furthermore, 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 10 (9.9 percent) of the population in England and Wales do not speak English as their first language.

Kate Palmer, director of employment services at the Peninsula, said the modern workforce is “diverse and vibrant” and therefore cultural sensitivity is essential.

“Not only would this incident have been distressing for those involved, it could also lead to damage to the organisation’s reputation and, in some circumstances, even lead to potential tribunal claims,” ​​she explained, adding that she also highlighted the need for employers to be careful when dealing with third parties, ensuring they “do not make the mistake of treating them as workers or even employees”.

Cultural biases in communication standards

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

She said that different nationalities and cultures have been shown to have distinct communication styles. She noted that some are “direct and to the point,” which can come off as rude and disrespectful to some people, while others don’t seem to successfully communicate their points, leaving much to be guesswork.

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

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

“If our employees are facing customers, then understanding communication styles and cultural differences is essential to create more tolerance for ambiguity and awareness of different perspectives to ensure that the customer experience is exemplary,” she explained.

HR’s role in preventing bias

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

She added: “Setting up open feedback channels also allows HR to address any issues promptly, 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”.

Similarly, Fitzgerald said balancing operational needs with inclusion “is not only possible, it’s essential.”

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

Fitzgerald added that to ensure biases like these don’t “enter the company culture”, leadership, HR and OD professionals need to focus on developing standards that enhance team effectiveness without “depressing or ostracizing any group”.

In a similar vein, 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 LinkedIn Learning report highlighted this, finding that organizations that engage in culture and language training experienced a 27% increase in employee retention and improved customer satisfaction, illustrating the potential benefits of these initiatives.

“Businesses 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 ultimately begins and ends with the manager: “There is no doubt that their behavior and attitude has created a toxic environment, which may encourage others in the team to do the same or make them feel that the only way to be a team player is to subscribe to the same approaches. This highlights what we see as the core principle of culture – leaders create it.”

However, he said: “What is not clear is how far it runs through the McDonald’s organization in Northern Ireland – many of the fast food outlets are franchises, so less connected to the central brand.”

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

For more information, read the CIPD’s fact sheet on communicating with employees