A CEO Can’t Have a Consensual Employee Relationship Because It’s Harassment in Business and at Work
Breaking news from the New York Times on Sunday afternoon, November 3, 2019:
McDonald’s C.E.O. Is Out After Relationship With Employee
Steve Easterbrook will be replaced by Chris Kempczinski, who most recently served as president of McDonald’s USA.
Steve Easterbrook has left his role as chief executive of McDonald’s, the fast-food chain announced on Sunday, after he engaged in a consensual relationship with an employee that violated company policy.
He will be replaced by Chris Kempczinski, who most recently served as president of McDonald’s USA.
“I engaged in a recent consensual relationship with an employee, which violated McDonald’s policy,” Mr. Easterbrook, who became the chief executive in March 2015, wrote in an email to McDonald’s employees. “This was a mistake.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
From page 20 of McDonald’s Standards of Business Conduct Policy:
DATING
In order to avoid situations in which workplace conduct could negatively impact the work environment, employees who have a direct or indirect reporting relationship to each other are prohibited from dating or having a sexual relationship. It is not appropriate to show favoritism or make business decisions based on emotions or friendships rather than on the best interests of the Company. If you are either in a relationship or plan to enter into a relationship that may violate Company policies, you must advise your Human Resources Representative or Director immediately.
Clearly, Easterbrook’s actions constitute a gross / willful misconduct violation of this key McDonald’s conduct policy on several levels (including but not limited to not reporting the dating relationship above), which would subject him to immediate termination.
However, the term “consensual” is a misnomer from a workplace compliance standpoint. A subordinate employee cannot not give full consent to a dating / sexual relationship with any CEO in any organization. Their subordinate status from a compliance standpoint prevents the employee from giving true consent to a dating / sexual relationship with their CEO. That, in plain terms, is a clear example of workplace harassment. This scenario is also compounded by the compliance fact that any act of harassment by a supervisor created automatic liability for the harassment for both the supervisor and their organization.
How do you ensure that your CEO (and your entire leadership / management team) studiously avoid dating / having sexual relationships with subordinate employees to also avoid subjecting your organization to harassment compliance liability, in business and at work?
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