McDonald’s probes potential cover up by disgraced former chief exec
McDonald’s is reportedly investigating whether its ousted British chief executive Steve Easterbrook covered up misconduct by other employees.
The investigation is also probing allegations of wrongdoing within the fast food giant’s human resources department.
Easterbrook was fired last November after it was revealed that he had been in a consensual relationship with a colleague that violated the chain’s policy.
“The board will follow the facts wherever they may lead,” McDonald’s told the Financial Times.
“We will continue to make changes, where necessary, to support all parts of our organisation.”
The former boss received a severance package of around $41.8 million when he left the Chicago-based company, Reuters reported.
However McDonald’s later discovered that Easterbrook had engaged in sexual relationships with employees in the year before he was sacked.
This month the burger chain said it sued Easterbrook to reclaim millions of dollars in severance and benefit payouts, claiming he covered up and lied about relationships.
McDonald’s said Easterbrook “concealed evidence and lied about his wrongdoing” and had physical sexual relationships with three McDonald’s employees in that year.
The chain also claimed that the former boss had approved an “extraordinary” stock grant, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, for one of those employees while their sexual relationship was ongoing.
In its complaint in Delaware Chancery Court, McDonald’s said it had found dozens of sexually explicit photos of women, including the three employees, that Easterbrook sent to his personal email account from his company email account.