Appropriateness of Firing McDonald’s CEO Over Consensual Affair
Romantic relationships in the workplace are common, and they present many potential issues for employees and the company. In the case of Steve Easterbrook, his firing can significantly impact McDonald’s stability, but it may also improve the company’s image. As noted in the articles about the situation, the affair went against company policy regarding romance between workers (Haddon, 2019). Therefore, the decision of the board appears to be justified.
As it is not known with whom the CEO had a relationship, one cannot establish the possible problems related to the couple’s status at work. However, as the CEO has authority over most operations, Easterbrook is in a leading position, which implies a high risk of an unequal dynamic in the couple. This may lead to such issues as workplace harassment and unfair treatment (Newburger & Lucas, 2019). Moreover, as a CEO, Easterbrook should lead by example, thus following the company’s established rules.
Actions if Serving on the Board in Response to the Affair
If I were on the board, I would review the existing policy and act in accordance with the available information. As the current company rules seem to go against Easterbrook’s relationship, I would make the same decision and vote to terminate the CEO due to breaching the corporate policy. If I were the head of HR and received information about the affair, I would investigate the situation and bring it up with the upper management for further resolution. In this case, it would be vital to protect the involved persons’ identity in order to shield them from potential harassment and mistreatment by other employees. Thus, I would not disclose the couple’s identity to my coworkers and subordinates and collect information without harming their image. I would also inspect the current policy and see whether alternative routes were possible, such as ending the relationships or signing contracts confirming the consensual relationship.
References
Haddon, H. (2019). McDonald’s fires CEO Steve Easterbrook over relationship with employee. The Wall Street Journal. Web.
Newburger, E., & Lucas, A. (2019). McDonald’s fires CEO Steve Easterbrook for violating policy over relationship with employee. CNBC. Web.