McDonald's eliminates DEI practices from its structure

More and more large companies are deciding to banish DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) policies from their philosophies and structures. The latest to join has been McDonald's, which confirmed that it will partially abandon these standards. Previously, Walmart, Boeing, Harley-Davidson, Southwest Airlines and American Airlines, among others have done so.

Through a communication, McDonald's President and CEO Chris Kempczinski informed franchise owners, suppliers and employees of "important changes" that will be implemented in practices related to inclusion, citing the Supreme Court's ruling on the racial affirmative action in colleges.

"We have assessed the shifting legal landscape to anticipate how this ruling may impact corporations such as McDonald’s. We compared our results with those of other companies. And finally, we have benchmarked our approach to other companies who are also re-evaluating their own programs," Kempczinski said.

McDonald's anti-DEI measures

Specifically, the fast-food chain assured that it will no longer "set ambitious representation targets" for inclusion. Nor will it continue to require its suppliers to meet certain progressive targets set by the board.

McDonald's also stated that it will stop "conducting external surveys" that reflect its level of diversity and inclusion.

Another notable move McDonald's will make is to replace the name of its diversity enforcement office with the Global Inclusion Team, something that has also been done by other companies that have ended DEI policies.

The victory of Donald Trump in November 2024 has accelerated the breakup of large and small companies with DEI policies. Even before the Republican triumph, the Supreme Court mortally wounded these initiatives with its 2023 ruling against the application of racial affirmative action at Harvard and the University of North Carolina.