Ethics Day: an open dialogue about Ethics

At the heart of this day lies a crucial component: an open dialogue about ethics. It is absolutely central to L’Oréal’s ethics programme, which encourages employees to address all ethical questions they encounter in their jobs—even the most difficult. This exercise in collective intelligence encourages everyone to think, discuss and share ideas related to L’Oréal’s four founding ethical principles: integrity, respect, courage and transparency.

Ethics Day is organised around a live chat between employees and Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jean-Paul Agon. The discussion continues in each country with the General Manager and in France with the members of the Executive Committee.

In 2020, Ethics Day benefited from an innovative 100% digital format that was more open than ever before: Jean-Paul Agon answered questions from employees in a live video. The questions and answers were translated simultaneously into English, French, Chinese and Spanish, which are the most spoken languages within the Group. Employees were also able to vote before the event on which questions they felt were most important so they would be answered first.

The event is increasingly popular with employees, 67% of whom participated in this record-breaking 12^th edition, with a total of more than 8,900 questions asked.   

Ethics Day also reaffirms the importance of ethics at all levels throughout the Group. The idea behind this event is to encourage employees to ask their questions or share any concerns whenever they arise, to ensure they are heard and handled. This exercise in participative dialogue and thought is part of a broader approach to continuous improvement when it comes to the best ways to apply L’Oréal’s ethical principles in the company’s day-to-day decisions and actions.