7th January 2025 – (New York) McDonald’s has decided to scale back some of its diversity initiatives, citing the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that abolished affirmative action in college admissions. This move places the fast-food giant alongside other major corporations, such as Walmart and Harley-Davidson, that have similarly adjusted their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in response to a growing conservative backlash.
On Monday, McDonald’s announced it would retire specific diversity targets for senior leadership positions and discontinue a program aimed at encouraging its suppliers to enhance diversity training and representation within their leadership ranks. The company also revealed plans to pause “external surveys” related to workplace inclusion, following similar suspensions by firms like Ford and Lowe’s.
These changes come after McDonald’s launched various diversity initiatives in 2021, prompted by a series of sexual harassment lawsuits and allegations of discrimination from Black former franchise owners. Chris Kempczinski, the company’s Chairman and CEO, had previously emphasised the importance of inclusion as a core value of the brand.
However, the “shifting legal landscape” following the Supreme Court’s ruling, along with the actions of other corporations, led McDonald’s to reevaluate its policies. The political climate, particularly with the incoming administration of vocal diversity opponent Donald Trump, may have further influenced this decision.
In an open letter to employees and franchisees, McDonald’s senior leadership reaffirmed their commitment to inclusion and noted that 30% of its U.S. leadership consists of individuals from underrepresented groups, a slight increase from 29% in 2021. Despite this, the company has now set aside its previous goal of achieving 35% representation by the end of the year.
McDonald’s has reported success in achieving gender pay equity across the organisation and reached its goal of allocating 25% of total supplier spending to diverse-owned businesses three years ahead of schedule. Moving forward, the company will rebrand its diversity team as the Global Inclusion Team while continuing to publish demographic information related to its workforce.
Responses to the policy changes have been mixed, with industry groups like the McDonald’s Hispanic Owner-Operators Association declining to comment. The evolving stance on diversity at McDonald’s highlights the ongoing discussions surrounding corporate responsibility and inclusion in the modern business landscape.
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English (US) ·