Every organisation should champion diversity but L’Oréal Canada is going one step further by actively instilling those same values in employees’ kids – here’s how.
The company’s subsidised day care centre was launched in 2002 but it’s more than just an employee perk – in an effort to educate children on diversity, the on-site centre reserves a percentage of places for children with special needs whose parents are non-employees.
“Our day care secures a few places for children with special needs in the general community,” confirms VP of HR Catherine
Bédard. “Say, if they have a learning difficulty or physical disability.”
But the initiative isn’t just about supporting kids who struggle more than most – it’s about educating and exposing every child to diversity in the hope that it’ll reduce bullying in school later on.
“We want our kids to be near and close to a diverse range of children,” explains
Bédard. “We want them to grow up knowing everyone’s the same.”
And let’s not forget that, on top of the corporate
social responsibility, the day care centre is also a very effective employee perk.
“We understand that the best way for talent to fully develop their potential is to make sure that they have a very happy professional life and also a happy and full personal life,” said L’Oréal exec Javier San Juan. “An onsite day-care means that employees are assured their children are in good hands.”
San Juan also added that, for those with offspring enrolled at L’Oréal Canada, it provides another way for employees from different departments to create bonds.
“It promotes friendships among employees,” he said.
