McDonald's Receives Major Diversity Award

McDonald's Corporation today received the distinguished "Freedom to Compete" Award by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in Washington, D.C. for the company's Diversity and Inclusion initiatives.

McDonald's trains more women and minorities than any other employer. Women and minorities represent more than 50 percent of McDonald's current workforce.

"The Freedom to Compete Award honors organizational leaders whose extraordinary efforts embody a key tenet of the Commission's goals: to ensure that all individuals have the freedom to compete and advance in the workplace on a level playing field. We congratulate McDonald's and the other award winners, and look forward to partnering with them to ensure equal opportunities for all employees," said EEOC Chair Cari M. Dominguez. "Ultimately, the Freedom to Compete Award is about setting examples and teaching. The best way to further the equal employment opportunity mission is to learn from one another."

Jim Skinner, McDonald's CEO, said of the award, "It's an honor to be recognized by the EEOC. We have an unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion in our workforce here in the U.S. and in every country in which we do business. We know that this commitment has greatly contributed to our success and growth as a company. More importantly, we're gratified that our culture of inclusion has created opportunities and enriched the lives of our own employees who may one day be the leaders of our company."

The EEOC recognized McDonald's diversity initiatives, specifically the diverse employee network organizations, which empower individuals to maximize their personal and professional growth through such avenues as career management, leadership skills development, networking and sharing best practices. The groups are supported by personal involvement of company officers who provide counsel and guidance, as well as a forum for two-way communication. Last month the company held a National Network Leaders Summit where network leaders from each employee group met at Hamburger University for two days to identify additional opportunities for networking partnerships and share best practices.

  Employee Networks at McDonald's
  -- McDonald's African American Council
  -- Hispanic Employee Network
  -- Asian Employee Network
  -- Women's Leadership Network
  -- Gays, Lesbians and Ally Network

Earlier this week, McDonald's was also recognized in Black Enterprise Magazine as one of the "Best Companies For Diversity" in their second annual list of the best companies for diversity.

Among the top 40, McDonald's was recognized as among the very best at bringing talented people of color into the ranks of senior management.

About McDonald's

McDonald's is the leading foodservice retailer with more than 31,000 local restaurants serving quality food to nearly 50 million customers in more than 100 countries each day. Approximately 70 percent of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent, local men and women.

About the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

The EEOC is the federal government agency responsible for enforcing the nation's anti-discrimination laws in the workplace. Further information about the EEOC is available online at http://www.eeoc.gov/ .

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SOURCE: McDonald's Corporation

CONTACT: Anna Rozenich of McDonald's Corporation, +1-630-623-7316; or
David Grinberg of EEOC, +1-202-663-4900, TTY: +1-202-663-4494

Web site: http://www.eeoc.gov/
http://www.mcdonalds.com/