McDonald’s is the latest major company to scale back its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts. It joins the ranks of Walmart, John Deere (DE-0.58%), and Ford (F+0.35%).
In a statement Monday, the fast food giant said it would retire its specific diversity goals, including those requiring suppliers to meet DEI targets, and will cease participating in external diversity surveys.
Chris Kempczinski, McDonald’s CEO, explained that the company is rebranding its diversity team, now calling it the “Global Inclusion Team,” as the name better reflects the company’s inclusion values and aligns with the team’s work.
The decision comes amid a Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action, as well as growing legal disputes and online criticism, which have prompted businesses across the U.S. to re-evaluate their DEI commitments.
McDonald’s emphasized that the shift reflects a focus on embedding inclusion practices directly into its daily operations, rather than relying on aspirational goals. “We are embedding inclusion in every process and operation that drives business growth,” the company stated. It also reaffirmed its ongoing commitments to pay equity, talent development, and supplier diversity, with an emphasis on building a workforce that reflects the communities it serves.
McDonald’s joins companies like Walmart, Ford, Harley-Davidson, and John Deere, which have similarly scaled back DEI initiatives. Other major tech companies, including Google, Meta (META+3.38%), Microsoft (MSFT+0.79%), and Zoom (ZM-0.50%), have also reduced their DEI programs. However, other companies, like Costco (COST+0.51%), are actively working to preserve their DEI initiatives despite mounting pressure. Costco’s shareholders are set to vote on the matter at the company’s annual meeting on Jan. 23.
As major corporations continue to navigate the shifting landscape of DEI, McDonald’s decision signals a broader trend, one that looks to integrate inclusion efforts more directly into core business operations, rather than focusing on external, public-facing targets. The change comes shortly after McDonald’s faced a major challenge when an E. Coli outbreak linked to its slivered onions left hundreds of people sick.
The post McDonald’s just became the biggest fast food chain to scale back its DEI efforts appeared first on Quartz.
