The BBC’s investigation in July 2023 heard from workers, some as young as 17, who said they had been groped and harassed almost routinely.
After the report, McDonald’s apologised and set up a new unit to deal with complaints.
Schulz, who replaced Alistair Macrow as chief executive of McDonald’s UK and Ireland in September, said on Wednesday “a ton of work” had taken place to improve things since then.
“What happened in recent years is unacceptable,” she said. “A safe and respectful workplace is a non-negotiable in our restaurants.”
“We have zero tolerance for this behaviour and we have strong accountability measures in place.”
But when asked what had gone wrong before, and whether there had been a cultural problem at the firm, Schultz responded: “I can’t speak to what went on before.”
“I am here today to push us forward into the future and develop a culture.”
She also didn’t respond to questions about McDonald’s franchise model, which some have pointed to as part of the problem, saying: “I don’t want to speak about the past. What I’m here [for] is to build the future.”
Ian Hodson, president of the Bakers, Food, and Allied Workers Union, said: “You don’t fix a toxic workplace by staying silent.”
“If they’re serious, they should finally start listening to workers and their representatives,” he added.