On Monday, McDonald’s became the latest employer to roll back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, ending some of its diversity practices—another indication yet of a profound shift taking hold as U.S. companies are re-evaluating their policies following the election of Donald Trump as the nation’s next president.
Four years after launching a push for more diversity in its ranks, on Monday the fast food company sent an “Our Commitment to Inclusion at McDonald’s” note to McDonald’s franchise owners, company employees, and suppliers worldwide citing a Supreme Court decision that outlawed affirmative action in college admissions and the “shifting legal landscape.” Specifically, McDonald’s will introduce a new “‘Golden Rule’—treating everyone with dignity, fairness, and respect, always,” according to the note. However, the company has identified “a few practices that we plan to modify.” For instance, “we are evolving how we refer to our diversity team, which will now be the Global Inclusion Team. This name change is more fitting for McDonald’s in light of our inclusion value and better aligns with this team’s work.” McDonald’s is also “pausing external surveys,” said the memo, which apparently refers to its participation in an annual survey by the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, which measures workplace inclusion.
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