The McDonald's CEO fired for his relationship with a subordinate has now been ousted as director of an organization promoting women in the workplace

Reuters

McDonald's ex-CEO Steve Easterbrook.

• The McDonald's CEO fired Sunday over an office romance has been removed as director of a nonprofit supporting women in the workplace.
• Lorraine Hariton, CEO of Catalyst, told Business Insider the decision to remove Steve Easterbrook on Tuesday "was the right thing to do."
• "Ensuring a workplace where everyone can thrive requires a long-term, intentional commitment from those in leadership-especially CEOs," Hariton added.
• Easterbook resigned from the board of Walmart on Monday, but will remain a fellow of the Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation, the university said.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The McDonald's CEO fired Sunday over a relationship with a subordinate has been sacked as director of a nonprofit backing equality in the workplace.

Catalyst told Business Insider they removed Steve Easterbrook on Tuesday following news of his departure from McDonald's after he "violated company policy" by having a relationship with staff member junior to him.

"We believe the decision to remove him as CEO and from the board was the right thing to do and represents the company's ongoing commitment to building respectful, safe and inclusive workplaces," Catalyst CEO Lorraine Hariton said.

"Ensuring a workplace where everyone can thrive requires a long-term, intentional commitment from those in leadership - especially CEOs."

Reuters

Steve Easterbrook, former CEO of McDonald's Corp., attends the annual Allen and Co. Sun Valley media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Catalyst helps more than 800 companies accelerate progress for women in the workplace.

Easterbrook's departure from McDonald's will not affect his position as a fellow at the University of Oxford's Centre for Corporate Reputation, the centre told Business Insider on Tuesday.

Easterbook resigned from the board of Walmart on Monday.

Easterbrook's departure from McDonald's sparked debate over the acceptability of relationships between staff inside companies.

Critics argue men or women in senior positions wield power over subordinates which throws the "consensual" nature of the relationship into question.

The identity, age, or seniority of the woman involved with Easterbrook is not yet known.

Easterbrook earned $15.9 million in his role as McDonald's CEO in 2018, and is set to receive at least half a year's wages in severance pay. According to company documents filed on Monday, Easterbrook is entitled to 26 weeks of severance pay, worth around $675,000.