L’Oréal USA is the first company in the U.S. to be certified with the EDGE global standard for workplace gender equality, the company announced on August the 26th, in honor of Women’s Equality Day. 

For the past six months, L’Oréal USA has been participating in EDGE’s certification process, which includes a comprehensive review of the company’s gender policies and practices and a deep analysis of gender data across the entire U.S. workforce of 10,000 employees.  

As part of the evaluation, L’Oréal surveyed more than 3,000 employees on gender equality as it pertains to recruitment and promotion, leadership training and mentorship, flexible work, company culture and equal pay for equivalent work.

“L’Oréal understands that gender equality is critical to our success across all areas of business and also gives us a competitive edge. The EDGE certification brings us a new level of accountability, transparency and a clear understanding of how to benchmark our progress” said Angela Guy, L’Oréal USA Senior Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion.  “We’re committed to taking leadership on this issue and will continue to develop innovative solutions toward achieving ongoing gender balance.”

“L’Oréal USA is a pioneer in its industry and in the U.S. by achieving certification” said Aniela Unguresan, co-founder of EDGE Certified Foundation. “The process is very rigorous and requires a high level of transparency. As a result of its certification, L’Oréal is showing consumers, investors and employees alike that they are genuinely committed to an issue that is crucial to success in a global marketplace.”

As a result of the certification, L’Oréal USA created a customized roadmap towards continued progress in gender equality, which includes a broader adoption of flexible work arrangements and continued development of leaders across both genders. At the global level, L’Oréal is in the process of certifying operations in seven other countries.

Recently, L’Oréal USA reinforced its commitment to gender equality at the White House Summit for Working Families in Washington, D.C. The company was one of the signatories of the White House Summit’s business pledge for building a 21st century workplace that works for all Americans and improves business competitiveness on a global scale.