DEI Corporate Studies at L’Oréal

"We embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion as fundamental pillars of our success"

As I embark on sharing my reflections on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), I feel compelled to first draw upon a few words of wisdom that have long guided my journey. Yet, before we immerse ourselves in these inspirations, let me pause to share something fundamental to L’Oréal’s ethos: when we speak of DEI, we speak not of "equality" but of "equity." 

This distinction is not mere semantics; it is the compass by which we navigate the complex landscape of inclusivity. For when we consider those who have long been on the margins, equality falls short. 

Our mission is to be the most inclusive leader in beauty and to contribute to a society where everyone can live safely, peacefully, and equally. We believe that individuals and teams with diverse perspectives are more successful in understanding the various beauty expectations and approaches, serving a wide range of consumers, and seizing opportunities.

A Journey Towards Advancing DEI

DEI is a broad topic, and along the way, the valuable contributions of those who have made significant strides in this field serve as our inspiration. As Verna Myers, a graduate of Harvard Law School and a prominent advocate for civil rights and DEI, aptly states, "Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance." Similarly, Evrim Kuran, who provides consulting on generational research, organizational attractiveness, and diversity, equity, and inclusion to various companies in Türkiye, completes this thought by saying, "Equity is having a fair space on the dance floor." Both of these esteemed individuals highlight that the concept of diversity cannot exist in isolation; it must be supported by equity and inclusion. 

At L'Oréal Türkiye, our goal is to always go a step further with these approaches. I am incredibly proud to be part of a magnificent team that has successfully brought the “organizing the party together” phase to life. We view DEI through a holistic lens; we find it valuable that not only under L’Oréal but also our stakeholders and business partners, with whom we communicate almost daily, approach the subject with the same care. Our strong policies and concrete steps emphasize our unwavering commitment to this area. 

As L'Oréal Group, our mission is to be the most inclusive beauty leader and contribute to a society where everyone can live safely, peacefully, and equally. We believe that individuals and teams with diverse perspectives will be more successful in understanding different beauty expectations and approaches, serving a wide consumer base, and seizing opportunities. We are determined to embody and preserve this vision by striving to be as diverse as the people we serve. Lastly, perhaps the most meaningful gift of working in this area is witnessing the acceptance of these issues by everyone within our company. 

It is heartening to see everyone respect and embrace each other’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being, age, sexual orientation, religion, race, and socio-cultural differences and to observe the reflections of this internalization in our society. I believe the culture we create at L’Oréal plants the seeds for a climate of tolerance in our community. 

At the center of this mechanism is a committee of 37 members that determines L'Oréal Türkiye's diversity and inclusion strategies. This committee meets regularly to evaluate L'Oréal Türkiye's DEI priorities and develop projects under three main headings. 

Physical, Mental, and Psychological Health

Our initial focus area aims to improve the physical, mental, and psychological health of our employees. Last year, we organized "Wellness Days" and held yoga and meditation sessions, as well as seminars with functional medicine and communication coaches for three days in our office. In collaboration with Avita, we offered free psychological support services for up to three sessions to help our employees cope with stress and anxiety. This year, we expanded this initiative by establishing a "Wellness Club," which undertakes various projects to enhance our employees' health and well-being.

Gender Equality

Our second focus area is centred on achieving gender equality and creating an environment where everyone can express themselves, regardless of sexual identity. In this context, we organize and manage training and awareness campaigns to build an inclusive workplace culture. We continue our efforts to ensure that our employees feel safe, accepted, and included, regardless of their identities and orientations.

Cultural, Social, and Economic Inclusion

Our third focus area is to include individuals from different cultural, social, and economic backgrounds in our workforce. By strengthening our recruitment strategies, we aim to attract talented individuals from not only the country's top universities but also from across Türkiye. We support this diversity in recruitment and believe that integrating different perspectives into our workplace will lead to more innovative solutions.

Under these main focus areas, L'Oréal Türkiye continues to support its commitment to DEI with concrete steps, creating a fairer, more inclusive, and innovative work environment for everyone. We believe that these projects will positively contribute not only to our workplace but also to society as a whole.

The purpose of these projects is to create a world where the talents of our employees, regardless of their age or gender, are the only aspects that stand out. We believe that providing a fair working environment that embraces all our human diversity is one of our top priorities. While achieving all of this, we also aim to protect both their competencies and their mental and physical health.

As we have made significant progress, we are working towards creating an inclusive, equitable, and humane work environment that values the competencies of our employees.

Women Empowerment

At L’Oréal Türkiye, 66% of our employees are women, with 56.6% in middle and senior management. We prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in all our efforts.

We believe in leaving a society free from the struggle for gender equality and are committed to this mission. Through the L'Oréal Women's Fund, we have directly supported over 2.5 million women and girls globally since 2020. We allocate over €200 million to social and environmental initiatives, with €80 million specifically for women facing violence and poverty, particularly post-pandemic. We aim to increase support for valuable projects like those from KAMER and İMECE in Türkiye, empowering women both internally and through NGO partnerships.

Additionally, we address pressing issues such as street harassment through the “StandUp – Against Street Harassment” project, which has trained 1.6 million people worldwide. In Türkiye, 149,000 individuals participated in the training, making us a leader in Europe in this regard.

We also support earthquake-affected women through the “Dermatology Specialist Training and Employment Program” in Hatay, in partnership with KAGİDER and BÜYEM. This program provides 64 hours of training for 120 women, focusing on skills such as sales and customer experience, followed by employment opportunities.

Launching in October, our “Write Your Future” program, in collaboration with KAGİDER, will empower young women aged 18-35 through skills development and mentoring, reaching 50 participants directly and 2,000 through an e-learning platform.

Our Kérastase brand promotes young women's confidence with the “Power Talks” mentoring program, connecting 50 mentors with 50 mentees.

The transformation project "Adding Value is in Our Hands," which we launched last year with our Skinceuticals brand, continues this year. Inspired by the handicrafts of Anatolia and the power of women's labor, we have transformed items made by the members of the Hazek Women’s Cooperative using the almost forgotten Anatolian handicraft of "Wheat Straw Weaving" into beautiful bags designed by Aslı Filinta. This project has impacted 350 women and their families, and this year our goal is to increase the number of bags produced and continue to grow this project.

Women in Science

At L’Oréal Türkiye, we believe in the power of science and focus on highlighting the leadership of our women in this field. Our most significant project in this area is the "Women in Science" program, launched under the motto "The world needs science, and science needs women." 

This long-standing benefit project in Türkiye aims to achieve gender equality in science, support young women in STEM, and create role models for the younger generation in collaboration with UNESCO Türkiye National Commission. 

Last year, we expanded the project by introducing a mentoring program for young university women. This year, we are proud to support the 'Science Mobilization' initiative launched by the Young Guru Academy (YGA).

To date, no scientist from a university in Eastern Anatolia has received an award from the 'For Women in Science' Program. In collaboration with YGA, we aim to address this gap by fostering the development of future scientists in the region through our initiative, which introduces middle school students to conscientious science. Nearly a thousand children from disadvantaged areas in Eastern Anatolia will be introduced to a science kit developed under the guidance of Nobel Prize-winning Turkish scientist Prof. Dr. Aziz Sancar, Professor Dr. Mehmet Toner (a faculty member at Harvard & MIT), Psychologist and Author Prof. Doğan Cüceloğlu, and Education Policy Advisor Sevinç Atabay.

Over the past 22 years in Türkiye, we have supported 124 young women scientists with promising projects. We have one International Excellence Award, and five of our Turkish women scientists have been selected as International Rising Talents for four consecutive years.

Empowerment Initiatives

At L'Oréal Group, we rank ninth in the “2024 Equileap Gender Equality Report,” which evaluates 3,795 publicly traded companies across 27 sectors worldwide.

To support our employees and their families, we introduced the "Parenting Leave Manifesto," reflecting our "people first" approach. This manifesto ensures that employees on their parenting journey will not have their rights, positions, promotions, or development processes affected and will not face negative discrimination. 

While the legal maternity leave is 16 weeks, L'Oréal Türkiye offers 18 weeks. Additionally, the legal paternity leave is 5 days, but L'Oréal Türkiye implements it as six weeks.

Our Employee Council exemplifies our corporate democracy. This body allows colleagues to freely express thoughts, provide feedback, make suggestions, and voice concerns. We are pleased to ensure every idea is heard, and our working methods have become a model for the sector. Within the scope of DEI, our assembly represents not only women but also every individual in our company.

We aim to make our employees active participants in shaping the future of our company by listening to and valuing their perspectives, creating a positive and inclusive workplace.

Representatives from all functions within L’Oréal Türkiye are part of this structure, having begun their duties through an election process. We look forward to the new initiatives from this successful team.

Accessible Environment

Creating an environment where everyone has equal opportunities is essential for a strong and productive workforce. At L'Oréal Group, we prioritize equal and fair conditions for all and recognize the potential of individuals with disabilities. Our goal is to implement measures that enable every employee to reach their full potential.

Physical, social, and mental well-being are key to our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion principles. We focus on accessibility; our office is designed to ensure that disabled employees can fully engage in their work environment. Our flexible benefits management also allows employees to adjust health insurance limits to suit their needs.

As L’Oréal Group, we believe that equal and fair conditions for everyone in the business world are essential for building a stronger future. We recognize the valuable contributions that people with disabilities bring to the workplace. Through innovative measures and supportive environments, we are committed to ensuring that every employee can realize their full potential.

Last year, our collaboration between Kérastase and Blindlook trained 500 professionals in 250 salons to provide inclusive service for visually impaired customers, reaching 18,000 visually impaired consumers. We will continue to use our brands' strength to benefit the community with new projects.

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of TDX Consulting or the Workplace in Action® program. The content and ideas presented by the authors are their personal opinions and should not be considered the official policy or stance of TDX Consulting or the Workplace in Action® program.