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McDonald's Retires Diversity Goals, Forms Global Inclusion Team Amid Legal Shifts

Jan 6, 2025, 09:07 PM

McDonald's Corp. is adjusting its approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), becoming the latest major corporation to modify its DEI strategy amid pressure from conservative advocates and a shifting legal landscape. The company has decided to retire specific goals for achieving diversity at senior leadership levels and will end a program that encouraged its suppliers to develop diversity training and increase minority representation in their leadership ranks. Additionally, McDonald's will pause participation in external surveys, such as those by the Human Rights Campaign, which measure workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees. This move follows a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2023 that outlawed affirmative action in college admissions, prompting a conservative backlash against DEI programs. Despite these changes, McDonald's remains committed to inclusion, stating that 30% of its U.S. leaders are from underrepresented groups and it has achieved gender pay equity at all levels since setting that goal in 2021. The company's diversity team will now be referred to as the 'Global Inclusion Team,' focusing on embedding inclusion practices rather than setting aspirational representation goals.