McDonald’s rolls back some of its diversity practices

Chicago: So, McDonald’s is making some big changes to its diversity practices. They just announced they’re rolling back a few initiatives after that Supreme Court ruling that shook things up for affirmative action in schools.

They’re not going to ask suppliers to hit specific diversity targets anymore, and they’re stepping back from those external surveys that measure how diverse they are. Plus, they’re even changing the name of their diversity committee to the Global Inclusion Team. Sounds like they want to keep things more focused on business performance rather than just hitting numbers.

In their statement, they mentioned they’re ditching the “aspirational representation goals” and instead want to weave inclusion into their everyday operations. They’re also hitting pause on those external surveys to concentrate on what they can do internally to boost their business.

But don’t get it twisted; they’re still committed to inclusion. They’ve always said that their business is all about people. It’s a bit of a shift, especially since the Supreme Court’s decision in June 2023 ended affirmative action in college admissions, which was a big deal back in the day.

Now, a lot of companies are rethinking their diversity programs as support for these initiatives seems to be fading. McDonald’s isn’t alone in this; other big names like Ford and Harley-Davidson are also pulling back on their diversity efforts. It’s a sign of the times, I guess, as the conversation around political correctness continues to evolve in the U.S.