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Towards an inclusive culture and the respect of our differences

This Friday May 17 2019, Thales has reinforced its commitment to fight against discrimination within the Group by signing the LGBT + (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Commitment Charter initiated by the Autre Cercle association in France. By adhering to this approach, Thales affirms its refusal of all forms of discrimination related to sexual orientation and gender identity, and its willingness to defend an inclusive model in which each person has the opportunity to find their place and to be their true self.

 

Thales makes a commitment

David Tournadre, Senior Executive Vice President - Human Resources at Thales, about the commitment:

There are days when I am particularly proud to be an HR executive. Today is one of them.

Thales has chosen to mark this year’s International Day against Homophobia by signing a Commitment Charter with French association l’Autre Cercle – an initiative designed to promote the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the workplace.

At Thales, we want it to be absolutely clear that everyone has the right to display pictures of his or her significant other at work, take parental leave, share his or her insurance policy with his or her spouse, or participate freely in any company event where couples are invited. Far from concerning only LGBT employees, LGBT policies must be everyone’s concern.

Thales though did not wait until May 17, 2019 to embrace diversity. This Charter builds on our long-standing commitment to inclusion. Our company aims to be accountable, competitive and exemplary.

Concerning accountabity, our primary responsibility, as an employer, is to ensure a non-discriminating professional environment. Non-discrimination is just a first step on the path to diversity and inclusion: a company is a community that should be as rich as society itself, in terms of gender, and ethnic and social backgrounds.

We are convinced that by empowering everyone to bring their unique perspective, experience, and character to the table – in one word, our differences - while fostering a sense of common belonging, we will create the dynamic environment we need to remain competitive and stay ahead of the innovation game.

Along with the one hundred and twenty institutions that have already signed this Charter, we humbly aim to set an example so that others will, in turn, make a commitment – and share in the proud feeling that we are all, in our own way, making a difference.

 

What is the relevance of this topic for Thales Deutschland?

Bernd Schopp, Vice President, Human Resources, Thales Deutschland:

Our employees make a decisive contribution to our company every day. In this context, the diversity of the people at Thales is our greatest asset, because we all benefit from our diverse talents and capabilities. We also benefit from our collective wealth of experience and knowledge which each an everyone of us contributes in their very own personal way to the team. It must therefore be natural for all of us, to respect and value the individuality of every person.

We actively promote diversity, create the necessary framework conditions and commit to a resolute support for all forms of diversity. The LGBT+ charter currently only focuses on companies in France, but the objectives and principles it contains apply, of course, also as a framework for our activities at Thales Deutschland. As an important part of our diversity & inclusion strategy it should be reflected in our daily actions. For the support of all employees is required to overcome discrimination and create an environment in which we all can develop as people without fear and constraints.

 

About IDAHOT

The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia was created in 2004 to draw the attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexuals, transgender, intersex people and all other people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristics. The date of May 17th was specifically chosen to commemorate the World Health Organization’s decision in 1990 to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder.

About Autre Cercle

L'Autre Cercle is an association dedicated to promoting diversity and preventing discrimination against LGBT + people (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans and Intersex) in the workplace. Initiated in 2013 by Accenture and promoted by L’Autre Cercle, the LGBT + charter sets the best practices to adopt to ensure an inclusive work environment. Since the creation of the charter, more than 140 companies, communities and regional actors have signed it.