Our Ethical Principles

Acting ethically day-to-day

Our compass for acting ethically

We believe that the way a company does business is as important as its financial performance and the quality of its products and services. In a changing world, our Ethical Principles of Integrity, Respect, Courage and Transparency serve as our compass for acting ethically day-to-day. Our Ethical Principles are not just nice words, to be put aside in difficult times. These principles shape our culture, underpin our reputation, and allow all L’Oréal employees to build trust through our actions every day.

Integrity

 because acting with integrity is vital to building and maintaining trust and good relationships.

Respect

because what we do has an impact on many people’s lives.

Courage 

because ethical questions are rarely easy but must be addressed.

Transparency

 because we must always be truthful, sincere and be able to justify our actions and decisions.

The L’Oréal Spirit, Origin of our Commitments

In line with our Ethical Principles, the L’Oréal Spirit summarizes our commitment to acting ethically and responsibly as a business, as an employer and as a corporate citizen.

Our Code of Ethics provides practical advice on everyday situations and ethical questions. It is available in 45 languages and in Braille in English and French, and is distributed to all employees worldwide upon joining the company.

L'Oréal's Code of Ethics

Our Speak Up policy enables our stakeholders, including our employees, to raise any serious violations of our Ethical Principles directly to SVP & Chief Ethics Officer, via a secure website.

Read our Speak Up Policy

Discover Ethics in Action

Our CSR, Compliance, Diversity & Inclusion, Human Rights and Philanthropy policies are founded on the basis of our Ethical Principles and aim to put into practice the commitments laid out in the L’Oréal Spirit.

How ethics works at L’Oréal

Everyone at L’Oréal has a role to play in terms of Ethics. To support this goal and empower employees to do their part in making L’Oréal an ethical company, there is a dedicated team led by our SVP & Chief Ethics Officer, who reports directly to the Chairman & CEO and regularly updates the Board of Directors.

The mission of the Chief Ethics Officer is to:

  • ensure the promotion and integration of best practices within the Group, providing guidance in ethical decision-making;
  • oversee employee training;
  • oversee the handling of concerns and directly manage those related to senior management positions;
  • measure and assess the company’s ethical performance.

The Chief Ethics Officer is in charge of overseeing respect for human rights within the Group and is the L’Oréal representative for the United Nations Global Compact and NGOs linked to business activity.

The Chief Ethics Officer has access to all information and documents concerning the Group’s activities, has recourse to all the Group’s teams and resources to carry out this mission, and can rely on a worldwide network of 75 Ethics Correspondents whose role is to support each General Manager in ensuring that Ethics is respected in their market. L’Oréal’s Ethics program includes continuous awareness raising, namely during the Group’s annual Ethics Day, mandatory Ethics training, numerous ethical policies and guidelines, regular risk assessment as well as a secure Group whistleblowing website.

Discover Our Group Policies

Supplementary to the Code of Ethics and Speak Up, specific topics are dealt with in specific group policies.

 
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