McDonald's joins wave of US companies rolling back DEI policies
Jan 07, 2025
McDonald's is just the latest American company to begin sunsetting some of the company's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.The popular Chicago-based fast food chain announced Monday it will start rolling back specific goals set to promote diversity at the senior leadership levels and ending a program that encourages its suppliers to develop diversity training. The burger giant said it will also pause external surveys but didn't elaborate.RELATED STORY | US companies are rolling back DEI programs to critics' praise, but consumers don't agree, data showsMcDonald's Chairman and CEO Chris Kempczinski said the "shifting legal landscape" and actions of other corporations prompted McDonald's leadership to reconsider company policies.That statement appears to be in reference to the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that banned affirmative action in college admissions because a majority of justices believed it violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.RELATED STORY | Lawsuit accuses Wells Fargo of 'sham interviews' to comply with DEI policyIn the wake of the ruling and conservative backlash against DEI programs other big companies like Walmart, John Deere, Harley-Davidson, Lowe's, and more have also rolled back their DEI initiatives.However, in an open letter to employees, McDonald's senior leadership team said it remains committed to inclusion and believes a diverse workforce is a competitive advantage.