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7
and Recommendations of the International Labour Organisation.
The strict application of the Code of Business Ethics is the duty
of the Group Management. The Human Resources Department
in each country is responsible for providing the necessary guidance
at local level. In addition, everyone has the option of
contacting the Office of the General Counsel, Human
Resources, of the group.
Lindsay Owen-Jones, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
L’Oréal, has delegated to François Vachey, Executive Vice-
President for Human Resources, responsibility for ensuring that
all of the values described in the group’s Code of Business
Ethics are strictly adhered to, in particular those concerning
Human Rights as defined in the United Nations Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.
Additional specific codes
In some business areas, the Code of Business Ethics is supplemented
by codes of practice, such as the one that defines
L’Oréal’s principles and practices applied to purchasing. Their
aim is to establish the relationship with suppliers within a
strict framework and to address specific issues to which the
group’s buyers may be exposed (conflicts of interest, courtesy
invitations, gifts…).
The group’s General Terms for Purchasing and Payment, introduced
in 2003, ensure that suppliers comply with all the laws
and regulations in force and that they respect the rules of conduct
stated in the fundamental Conventions of the ILO, particularly
on the abolition of forced labour, the eradication of child
labour, equality and freedom of association.
EXTRACT FROM THE CODE OF BUSINESS ETHICS
“Respect for the individual is a fundamental principle at
L’Oréal. It is applied daily and is the focus of human
relations within the company. L’Oréal believes in
the virtue of difference and diversity for the development
of its human assets: L’Oréal categorically rejects all forms
of discrimination, both in thought and deed,
notably concerning sex, age, physical disability,
political and philosophical opinion, union activity,
religious conviction, as well as race and social,
cultural and national origin. Each individual has a right to
respect and human dignity; all behaviour or acts likely to
create a hostile working environment and, in particular,
any form of sexual or moral harassment, will not be tolerated.
Respect for the individual is also demonstrated by L’Oréal’s
commitment to its employees and to those management
values upon which the Company sets great store.
Respect for the individual is maintained through an
ongoing dialogue between individuals and management.
Thus recruitment and career development are based on
competence and quality, appraised objectively in relation to
the Company’s needs.
The group’s Training and Development programmes play
a vital part in the development of each employee’s skills
and potential. L’Oréal is committed to facilitating
the professional integration of those who require
special attention: young adults, persons from disadvantaged
backgrounds and those with special physical needs.”
In June 2003, L’Oréal signed the
Global Compact declaration (a United Nations
agreement), thus committing itself to adopting
and promoting nine universal principles concerning
Human Rights, labour and the environment.