There was a gonorrhea outbreak at a McDonald's branch among staff who were having sex with each other, a report says

• There was an outbreak of gonorrhea among staff at a McDonald's branch in the UK, a report says.
• Sexual relationships between staff members were "commonplace" at the Northern Ireland branch.

There was an outbreak of a sexually transmitted disease at a McDonald's branch in the UK "where sexual relationships between staff members were commonplace," according to a BBC investigation.

The investigation, based on accounts from more than 100 current and former employees, revealed a series of allegations of sexual assault, racism, and homophobia across different branches of the fast-food chain.

The BBC reported that there had been an outbreak of gonorrhea among staff at a branch in Northern Ireland but did not provide any further details.

Gonorrhea is an STD that can cause infection in the genitals, rectum, and throat. In rare cases, it can lead to infertility in men and untreated gonorrhea can also spread to your blood or joints.

The five-month-long BBC investigation painted a picture of a toxic work culture at the company. Workers, some of them teenagers in their first jobs, were being groped and harassed almost routinely, according to the BBC.

One claim involved a manager in Hampshire suggesting a 16-year-old male worker perform sexual acts in exchange for vapes. Another manager at a Cheshire branch is alleged to have tried to pressure a 16-year-old female worker into having sex.

Another former worker was 17 when a senior manager at a Plymouth restaurant allegedly choked her and grabbed her butt, according to the BBC investigation.

Other allegations involved racism and homophobia. Workers told the broadcaster that often managers were responsible for the assaults and harassment and that senior managers often failed to act on complaints.

In a statement previously shared with Insider, McDonald's UK & Ireland CEO Alistair Macrow said that the company has a "zero-tolerance approach to any kind of harassment" and that each employee "deserves to work in a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace."

"There are clearly instances where we have fallen short, and for that, we deeply apologize," he said.

He added that McDonald's UK would investigate all of the allegations.

The US-owned hamburger chain has 1,450 outlets in the UK and employs 170,000 staff, the BBC reported.