McDonald’s announced Monday that it’s removing some of its diversity, equity, and inclusion goals in response to a changing legal landscape and an internal audit of its own programs.
The chain said it’s ending aspirational representation goals and shifting to embedding inclusion practices into daily operations. McDonald’s is also pausing external surveys in favor of focusing on internal efforts, stopping its Supply Chain’s Mutual Commitment to DEI pledge and switching to integrated discussions with suppliers about inclusion, and rebranding its Diversity Team to be called the Global Inclusion Team.
The move away from diversity guidelines comes after a handful of legal wins by conservative groups that have pushed back against programs catered specifically toward elevating minorities and women, according to the AP.
McDonald’s said it completed a Civil Rights Audit last year that looked at all aspects of inclusion across its system and spoke with shareholders to understand their expectations. It also considered the potential impact of the Supreme Court ruling in Student for Fair Admissions, Inc. vs. President and Fellows of Harvard College, which found using race as a factor in college admissions violates the 14th Amendment. The decision effectively ended the practice of affirmative action in college admissions.
The chain said it also compared its approach to other companies reevaluating their own programs. Walmart announced late last year that it was rolling back many diversity policies. John Deere, Ford, and Lowe’s are other examples. Several larger companies also ended their participation in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, which graded a company’s efforts around LGBTQ+ inclusion.
During the summer of 2020, McDonald’s established a global advisory council on diversity, equity, and inclusion with leaders across the world. The chain sought expertise from diverse voices to advise on long-term strategies, including a listening tour that consisted of leadership interviews and listening sessions across several markets. From November 2020 to February 2024, Reggie Miller served as global chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer.
In February 2021, McDonald’s announced a commitment to improve leadership diversity with executive compensation tied to achieving those goals.
Although McDonald’s is now taking a different course, it still reaffirmed its commitment to inclusion in the workplace. The burger giant will continue to report demographic information in its annual Purpose & Impact report. It also instructed a small team to refine its language to better capture the company’s commitment to inclusion.
The brand ended 2024 with more than 30 percent of U.S. leaders coming from underrepresented groups. It also achieved gender pay equity at all levels and in every market. A recent employee survey found that 84 percent of workers feel “McDonald’s is an environment that allows me to be myself” and 78 percent rated the chain positively on its Inclusion Index. Additionally, McDonald’s met its goal of 25 percent diverse-owned supplier spend by the end of 2025—three years ahead of schedule—and recruited the largest number of franchisee applicants from underrepresented groups in company history.
“Our success is a direct result of the work our collective system has done to become the world’s community restaurant,” McDonald’s said in a statement. “We are shaped by the communities we serve and open our doors to everyone. Whether it’s recruiting restaurant team members directly from the communities in which we operate or creating more opportunities for entrepreneurs and growing a robust and innovative supply chain, our system leverages inclusion to operate successfully and grow our businesses.”
