Navigating Workplace Relationships & McDonald’s CEO

McDonald’s has pushed its chief executive officer out of the company after he violated the company’s policy on workplace relationships by becoming involved in a consensual relationship with an employee.

CEO Steve Easterbrook’s actions breached the fast food giant’s company rules that forbids managers and executives from holding romantic relationships with direct or indirect subordinates (or employees that work directly for them or in another department).

Easterbrook acknowledged the relationship in an email to McDonald’s employees.

Does a company in Canada have the right to ban workplace relationships between coworkers, as well as between managers and their staff? Can an employee be terminated for cause (without severance pay) if their relationship is discovered?

LEARN MORE
• McDonald’s Canada and severance pay

Alex Lucifero is an employment lawyer in Ottawa and Partner at employment law firm Samfiru Tumarkin LLP. He joined host Leslie Roberts on CTV Morning Live in Ottawa to discuss the story and the rights that employees, employers and a company have in a situation involving workplace relationships.

You can also watch Alex’s interview on CTV Morning Live.

Read more about the topic in our blog: What you need to know about dating in the workplace.