McDonald’s did not announce that it was ending all inclusion work. On January 6, 2025, it said it would retire aspirational representation goals, pause external surveys, end a supplier DEI pledge, and rename its diversity team the Global Inclusion Team. The company said other inclusion practices would continue. Those changes came amid a broader, reported pattern of companies revisiting particular DEI commitments—not a single, uniform retreat.
What McDonald’s changed in January 2025
In a statement dated January 6, 2025, McDonald’s said it had sent its announcement to owner/operators, employees, and suppliers worldwide. It outlined four changes:
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- Retire aspirational representation goal-setting.
- Pause external surveys.
- Retire Supply Chain’s Mutual Commitment to DEI pledge, replacing it with more integrated supplier discussions about inclusion and business performance.
- Rename its diversity team the Global Inclusion Team.
These were changes to specified goals, measurement, a supplier pledge, and a team name. McDonald’s did not say it was ending every inclusion practice. The company said its “position and our commitment to inclusion is steadfast.” (McDonald’s, January 6, 2025)
What the company said would continue
McDonald’s said it would continue building diverse employee, Registered Applicant, and supplier pipelines; working on pay equity; reporting demographic information in its annual Purpose & Impact report; supporting employee business networks and franchisee affinity groups; and holding leaders accountable for inclusive team environments. Its statement described the changes as a shift in how inclusion work is measured and incorporated, not an end to that work.
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Why McDonald’s said it was changing its approach
The company said it had completed a comprehensive civil rights audit, engaged with shareholders, assessed shareholder proposals, considered the changing legal landscape after Students for Fair Admissions, and benchmarked its approach against other companies. That is McDonald’s explanation for its decision; the announcement does not establish that any one factor caused a particular change.
McDonald’s also described several results and employee measures in the announcement. These are company-reported figures, not independent assessments:
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- More than 30% of McDonald’s U.S. leaders were from underrepresented groups at the close of 2024.
- In the most recent employee Pulse Survey cited in the announcement, 78% of employees scored the company positively on its Inclusion Index, and 84% said it was an environment where they could be themselves.
- The company said it had met its aspirational goal for diverse-owned suppliers to account for 25% of U.S. systemwide supplier spend three years ahead of its end-of-2025 target.
The company said it was retiring aspirational representation goal-setting even as it reported progress against some of its prior goals. Those figures describe the company’s stated results; they do not establish what its policies or results became after the announcement.
How McDonald’s compares with other reported changes
The Associated Press reported on January 6, 2025, that Walmart, John Deere, and Harley-Davidson had rolled back DEI initiatives in 2024. AP also reported that Lowe’s and Ford had suspended participation in an annual Human Rights Campaign survey. These are selected examples reported at that time, not a complete company census or an up-to-date audit of each firm’s policies. (Associated Press, January 6, 2025)
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- Gift an Arch Card to friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, teachers, service providers, etc.
- From breakfast to dinner, and everything in between, McDonald's has something for everyone.
- McDonald’s gift cards can be used on any menu item including fan favorites like the Egg McMuffin, McNuggets, the Big Mac, and of course our world-famous fries.
The changes should not be treated as interchangeable. A company may drop a representation target, stop participating in an external survey, alter supplier commitments, or change an internal team without announcing that all inclusion programs are ending. In McDonald’s case, the company explicitly said several inclusion activities would continue.
McDonald’s representation target
AP reported that McDonald’s had set a goal for 35% of its U.S. leadership to come from underrepresented groups by the end of 2025. AP described the share as 30% at the time of its report, compared with 29% in 2021. McDonald’s January 2025 statement said more than 30% of U.S. leaders were from underrepresented groups at the close of 2024. The company’s announcement retired aspirational representation goal-setting; it did not say that the reported share was a new target.
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- No returns and no refunds on gift cards.
- Gift an Arch Card to friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, teachers, service providers, etc.
- From breakfast to dinner, and everything in between, McDonald's has something for everyone.
- McDonald’s gift cards can be used on any menu item including fan favorites like the Egg McMuffin, McNuggets, the Big Mac, and of course our world-famous fries.
- Our burgers are the hottest, juiciest burgers. Ask the Hamburglar, he can’t keep his hands off ‘em!
What the examples do—and do not—show
The examples show that companies were changing different parts of their DEI programs: goals, pledges, surveys, or initiatives. They do not support a blanket claim that every named company ended all inclusion activity. The cited reporting also does not establish the present-day 2026 status of these companies or the later status of each McDonald’s practice.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What McDonald’s 2025 proxy says about executive incentives
McDonald’s 2025 proxy statement records a shareholder proposal asking the Compensation Committee to revisit incentive guidelines and consider eliminating DEI goals from executive compensation inducements. The board recommended voting against the proposal. Arguments in the proposal’s supporting statement—including its claims about legal and reputational risks—are the proponent’s assertions, not findings by McDonald’s, its board, or the SEC. (McDonald’s Corporation 2025 Proxy Statement, filed 2025)
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How to read claims that a company “ended DEI”
For a precise comparison, identify what changed and what the company said would remain in place. A target, external survey, supplier pledge, team label, and internal program are distinct things. The announcement, filing, or dated report should support the specific claim being made; a report that a company rolled back one initiative is not evidence that all its inclusion practices stopped.
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