McDonald’s Australia has pledged to maintain its woke diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, distancing itself from a significant policy shift announced by its U.S. headquarters.

While McDonald’s U.S. revealed plans to roll back several DEI initiatives, including retiring diversity goals for senior leadership and pausing external surveys related to LGBT+ inclusion, the Australian arm has made it clear that its commitment to DEI will remain unchanged.

In a statement released earlier this week, McDonald’s U.S. confirmed it was stepping back from unpopular diversity practices introduced in 2021, citing the ongoing impact of sexual harassment and racism lawsuits. As part of the changes, McDonald’s U.S. is scrapping its supplier diversity program and reassessing its leadership diversity goals. Additionally, the company stated it would halt its participation in external surveys, such as the Human Rights Campaign’s workplace inclusion survey.

However, McDonald’s Australia has advised its customers and staff that these shifts will not affect its diversity measures locally. A spokesperson for the Australian division stressed the company’s dedication to DEI: "At McDonald’s Australia, our doors are open to everyone. We will always do our best to ensure our restaurants and workplaces are inclusive spaces where everyone is welcomed and feels like they belong."

McDonald's Australia promotes its DEI initiatives across its operations, proudly stating that it uses its global scale to "accelerate meaningful change" throughout its supply chain. The company has also highlighted its core values, which include "Inclusion" and "Community."

The company has been a visible supporter of woke causes, celebrating events like ‘Wear it Purple Day’ in August 2022 and partnering with Adelaide United’s Pride Game in February 2022. Alex Carapetis, McDonald’s South Australia market manager at the time, expressed the company’s virtues, signalling: “McDonald’s Australia has for many years committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, extending our values from our corporate offices to our restaurants, to the diverse communities we feed and foster.”

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