Vulnerability deserves a real place in the workplace

17 Dec Vulnerability deserves a real place in the workplace

Toward Universal Social Protection in Business: A Matter of Fairness, Talent and Sustainable Impact.
Glad to have contributed, through UBTrends initial studies, to sparking this powerful momentum behind the Engage & Care Corporate Coalition launched by L’Oréal.
👉 Vulnerability deserves a real place in the workplace.

In the first roundtable discussion, leaders from L’Oréal Sylviane BALUSTRE-d’ERNEVILLE, Legrand Alexia Paternotte and the ILO shared a clear vision:
👉 Social protection is no longer the sole responsibility of governments.

Large companies have a crucial role to play — for their employees and across their ecosystems.
For over a decade, companies like L’Oréal and Legrand have been working to ensure a minimum protection floor for all employees, regardless of country-specific systems.
Three key drivers emerged:
• Responsibility: “Vulnerability must no longer be a taboo in the workplace.”
• Fairness: “Same country, same company — but huge gaps in coverage. We had to act.”
• Engagement: “When people feel protected, they’re more confident, loyal and committed.”

💡 Ongoing challenges include:
• Mental health: “We don’t have all the answers — but through dialogue, new ideas emerge.”
• Caregiving & long-term illness: “Staying connected with employees on sick leave is essential to a successful return.”
• Impact measurement: “We want to measure our real impact — not just internally, but in society at large.”

🤝 A new global coalition has been launched to foster collaboration, share practices, and extend protection beyond large companies to SMEs, suppliers, and value chains, which is key !

“Investing in social protection is not a cost — it’s a driver of economic growth and social stability.” – Valérie Schmitt, ILO

Companies like Axa, L-Acoustics, Orange, Bouygues, Disneyland, Engie, EDF, Michelin, Sanofi and Monnoyeur have already joined the initiative, which places strong emphasis on mental health — the focus of the second roundtable.