Diversity: helping drive the Group’s performance
Air Liquide seeks to promote diversity throughout its workforce, reflecting its belief that this is a way to stimulate innovation, strengthen employee engagement, and boost the Group’s long-term performance.
As part of its ADVANCE strategic plan announced in 2022, the Group reaffirmed its ambition to reach 35% women among engineers and managers by 2025. This ambition is being pursued through a broad approach and targeted action plans, tailored to local contexts. From inclusive recruitment to strong leadership commitment, and through training initiatives and proactive communication campaigns in schools and universities, Air Liquide is working on all aspects of its organization to achieve significant progress. All while ensuring that skills and qualifications remain at the heart of every recruitment decision.
In 2024, the proportion of women among engineers and managers in the Group reached over 33%, representing a 1% increase year-on-year.
Creating a more inclusive work environment
Air Liquide is committed to creating a safe and inclusive work environment, in which every employee can benefit from fair working conditions. This commitment is even more important for female employees at operational sites, for whom the Group has established standards to support its entities in terms of safety, comfort and well-being, while respecting local regulations and cultural specificities. Concrete measures have been taken around the world, such as providing women with adapted personal protective equipment, creating dedicated areas for greater comfort and privacy, and implementing security measures for women working at night.
In addition to promoting safety and well-being in the workplace, Air Liquide is committed to supporting its female employees at every stage of their careers and during key moments of their personal lives. The Group supports parents by offering a 14-week fully paid maternity leave, accompanied by support before, during and after the leave to ensure a smooth transition, without any impact on their career. By implementing these standards, Air Liquide aims to attract and retain talents by creating an environment where everyone can develop their full potential serenely.
Women’s PPE to support inclusion and performance
Given the challenges associated with diversity, providing women with personal protective equipment (PPE) designed for female bodies might seem like a minor point. Yet, it represents a very significant advance! Air Liquide has made this commitment to ensure the safety and comfort of women working on its sites. Airgas, the Group’s U.S. subsidiary, turned this symbol of inclusivity into reality by launching PPE for women in the fall of 2024. The new range includes better-fitting gloves and welding jackets that are now available to the subsidiary’s female employees as well as to women welders outside the Group via the Airgas online store and sales outlets. Users have praised the benefits of the new PPE, citing improved safety, enhanced work performance, and more comfort, all of which instills greater self-confidence. In China, Air Liquide has also developed a PPE range for female employees that is available at all sites across the country. All Group entities are now rolling out this initiative, which represents a practical step towards a safer and more inclusive work environment.