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Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion

At Arcos Dorados, we are committed to promoting a diverse workplace that encourages respect and welcomes the participation of all people, promoting development based on each individual’s traits, while fostering inclusion and equal opportunities.

With operations in 20 markets in Latin America and the Caribbean and more than 90 thousand employees in our footprint, we provide opportunities to young people starting at the age of 16, which also generates incredible geographic, cultural and generational diversity in our Company.

We have a responsibility to promote an environment where our people feel comfortable, safe and aware of D&I issues. This positions D&I as one of our Company’s strategic pillars and core values. We believe in keeping pace with changes in societal norms expectations, while also generating value for our very diverse community of collaborators.

Our Initiatives

Diversity and Inclusion Committee

The SOMOS Committee was established to develop a work environment that recognizes our people and allows all of them to reach their full potential, regardless of gender, race, or generational differences. The Committee is composed of employees from our restaurants and all levels of corporate staff, across the 20 markets where we operate. The aim of the Committee is to develop policies and initiatives that promote a safe and respectful work environment. 

Our guidelines

The Committee focuses on four main diversity-related issues that we selected through a broad-based survey of our workforce: gender, inter-generations, sexual diversity, health and wellness, and persons-with-disabilities. We have formed workgroups and companywide networks to ensure that we are listening to diverse views and encouraging the participation of more people who are committed to the Company’s purpose: inclusion. 

Through our AD Women’s Network, we seek to promote equal opportunities for women by providing more visibility and empowering female talent. The network spans all of our Latin America markets, is multidisciplinary, non-hierarchical and pan-regional in nature. Its goal is to raise awareness and promote and increase the number of women in leadership positions. 

To this end, we focus on: 

  • Detecting obstacles in women’s professional careers, working to raise awareness about invisible biases and/or institutional/societal chauvinism.
  • Generating learning tools that include a gender perspective, training women leaders so they can “Train the Trainers”.
  • Achieve a unified voice by establishing channels throughout the organization that increase women’s participation.
  • Recognize talent, generating leadership based on professional competencies.
Our commitment in figures and recognitions
  • About 59% of the Company’s employees throughout the region are women. 
  • 54% of women have leadership positions such as Operations Manager, Business, Restaurant and Staff Management Team.
  • Recognized by various third-party organizations for offering the best workplaces for women.
  • Ongoing recognition of female employees throughout the region for playing a transformational role, developing talents, creating an inclusive world and contributing to sustainable actions.
Our strategic alliances

Colombia
We signed an agreement to be part of the Certification Program for Management Systems with Gender Equality (SGEG) with the government of Colombia, in order to receive the Gender Equality Seal.

Chile
We signed an agreement to include the Company in the Good Labor Practices program, which resulted in receiving the “Equality-Conciliation Seal” awarded and promoted by Chile’s National Women’s Service (SERNAM).

UN – Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs)
We adhere to the “WIN-WIN-WIN: GENDER EQUALITY IS GOOD BUSINESS” program, coordinated by UN Women, which seeks to promote gender equality through the private sector and increase the economic empowerment and leadership of women as the basis for sustainable, inclusive and equitable growth.

To continue making progress on this issue, we also made an explicit commitment by signing and supporting the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), created by UN Women and the Global Compact in 2010, which are the platform for private companies and their representative organizations to implement explicit measures, adopt policies and invest in promoting equality in the workplace, marketplace and community.

We signed agreements with the United Nations Program “UN Women” in Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia and we are beginning the process to include the rest of the 20 markets where we operate.

Other alliances

We have established alliances with NGOs and governmental entities to conduct self-assessments and thus monitor our gender equity practices in order to:

  1. Meet the commitments associated with the adherence to the UN program “WOMEN WEPS-WIN-WIN” in Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico and Uruguay.
  2. Receive the “Equal-Conciliation Seal” from Chile’s Ministry of Women and Gender Equity.
  3. Receive the Labor Equity Certification from the Ministry of Labor of Colombia.

In order to strengthen the organizational culture in a diverse, innovative and trusting environment, valuing the characteristics of each generation, we initiated a regional process to better understand the real needs of our people and to build the Company’s intergenerational map.

In addition, we support the younger generations throughout their professional and personal growth, reducing barriers of entry into the workforce and, therefore, reducing youth unemployment as well.

Our guidelines

We raise awareness through meetings and conversations with various Company leaders to generate an understanding of the Empathy phase of the issue and its main findings. We also discuss the problems and opportunities that need to be addressed in greater detail.

Creation of the LatAm Doer Community

Each division is working on an initiative that is first implemented in those markets and then shared with the entire region:

  • SLAD: Reverse Mentoring
  • NOLAD: Unconscious Biases
  • CARIBBEAN: Generational coexistence in AD + demographics
  • Brazil: Live Session

The Arcos Pride Network was set up in 2021 to work on issues related to the Sexual Diversity in the company. It is a collective initiative, with representatives from different geographies, disciplines, hierarchical levels, sexual identities and ethnicities.

Our mission

To promote and encourage a free and safe space for the LGBTIQA+ population in Arcos Dorados, which safeguards the full development of all people according to their sexual identity, allowing each one to achieve their greatest personal fulfillment and professional growth.

Principles

⦁ We recognize diversity as a value and not as an obligation.
⦁ We foster an inclusive organizational culture.
⦁ We are a social change agent committed to corporate citizenship.
⦁ We believe in a more just and egalitarian society.
⦁ We seek a healthy, democratic and prejudice free work environment.

Goals

⦁ Educate and raise awareness about the diverse sexual orientation that shape the Company’s talent and the communities in which we operate.
⦁ Be a leading company in the management of sexual diversity, recognized for its non- discriminatory, inclusive and fair spaces and for our commitment to the LGBTIQA+ community.
⦁ Detect opportunities in customers’ and employees’ experience related to sexual diversity and engage on their improvements making them feel safe, valued and respected, preventing harmful actions against LGBTIQA+ people that give rise to practices and acts of discrimination or violence against them.
⦁ Establish criteria for action in the face of discriminatory manifestations – direct or indirect – and situations of harassment or violence motivated by reasons of sexual identity that occur within the organization.


Our Guide to Sexual Diversity

Through our Sexual Diversity Guide, we promote an open and safe workspace and establish criteria for action in the face of discriminatory manifestations.

Download the guide here.


Gender-neutral uniforms

At the beginning of 2022, we advanced our commitment to fostering a more inclusive work environment by replacing our crew uniforms in restaurants with a gender-neutral model. In this way, everyone can feel equally free, represented and valued by being themselves! The new models were chosen through a survey in which more than 34,000 of the company’s employees participated.

We will soon extend this initiative to Restaurant Managers and Experience Leaders.


Our alliances

Reinforcing our commitment to Diversity and Inclusion, we are part of several alliances and collaboration networks that seek to promote and respect the rights of LGBTIQA+ people.

Argentina / Chile / México / Uruguay

Pride Connection is a network that seeks to promote inclusive workspaces for sexual diversity and generate links to attract LGBTIQ+ talent to the different organizations that comprise it.

Brazil

The Companies and LGBTI+ Rights Forum in Brazil sets out 10 Company commitments that aim to promote and respect LGBTI+ human rights.

Costa Rica

The San José Declaration is an initiative led by the Business Alliance for Development (AED) as the local chapter of Pride Connection for Costa Rica, which seeks to commit companies and organizations to 10 principles against discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.

Uruguay

The LGBT Chamber of Commerce and Business aims to empower Uruguayan companies committed to diversity, promoting networking and the internationalization of its products and services, while providing business tools for the economic and social development of the LGBT community in Uruguay.

We promote an integrated approach to wellbeing, inside and outside the workplace, every day.

Since March 2020, we made changes to program’s content adapting to the realities of the pandemic while remaining focused on the three main topics:

  • Preventive health exams: annual medical check-up day, medical trailer, online service and psychological support assistance. 
  • Physical activity: AD Gym (on-site / online classes), partnership with Gympass and Team Running.
  • Healthy habits: Awareness campaigns and series of talks and workshops on healthy habits, led by professionals.

At Arcos Dorados, we promote inclusion and diversity. The culture of teamwork, respect, inclusion and equal opportunities is continuously promoted in all areas of the Company. In addition to strengthening the necessary conditions to continue consolidating increasingly accessible spaces and environments, we remain committed to eliminating barriers and biases that exist in the workplace. We currently employ approximately 2,400 individuals with disabilities in Latin America and the Caribbean, and we are actively working to create even more job opportunities.

Our strategic alliances

Thanks to our work with different non-governmental organizations, we promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace and thus foster their social integration.

Some initiatives

Inclusive training and language

We developed specific training materials for hearing-impaired employees in Brazil. In addition, in Panama, we are teaching sign language to restaurant teams.

Blue Space

We implemented different actions in restaurants located in Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Mexico and Venezuela so that people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families can enjoy a convenient, safe and warm experience.

Our commitment to the future