Reply #18: I think you're probably on the right track there.

[Richard Steele]

I'm no lawyer myself, and that article leaves me with
a whole bunch of unanswered questions...

But when I see this sentence: "Judge Thomas McDonald
said he would allow jurors to see a copy of the employee
handbook that Ogborn signed..."
I suspect that McDonalds Inc. is basing its defense on some variation
of that "reasonable effort to educate" principle that you mention.
At least some part of its defense, anyway.