Fostering an inclusive culture

The Group is committed to providing a respectful work environment in which every employee matters. We support diversity in all its forms, with our primary goal being to maintain an inclusive culture throughout the Group.

Promoting gender balance at all levels

Women remain underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), both at school and in the workforce, including at Thales.

As part of its long-standing commitment to promoting gender equality in the workplace, Thales signed a European agreement in 2009 that sets out commitments in all areas of gender equality: recruitment, career development, equal pay and work-life balance.

Through our action plan, we pursue our efforts to increase the proportion of women in our workforce and management positions.

Our gender balance initiatives

We work with local partners to help more women get into specific scientific careers:

• In France, Thales partners with Elles Bougent, a voluntary organisation focused on engineering, and has signed the “Féminisons les métiers de l'aéronautique et du spatial” charter, signalling its commitment to bringing more women into the aerospace sector.
• Thales Italia, the Group’s Italian subsidiary, has a formal arrangement with Valore D, a non-profit that champions the balanced representation of women and men in business.
• In the UK, we work closely with Women in Tech and Women in Engineering.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive work environment:

• Thales employees attend sessions on unconscious bias as well as hand-on “Fresk” workshops on diversity.
• In 2018, the Group officially joined #StOpE, an initiative to combat everyday sexism in the workplace.

We take active steps to encourage and support women to advance to senior roles:

• We have set up a global mentoring scheme to help female employees progress in their careers, with all Executive Committee members serving as mentors on the programme.
• At Executive Committee level, we conduct an annual talent review focused exclusively on women in the most senior positions.

Key achievements in 2024

• 21.1% of senior management positions were held by women (vs. 18% in 2020).
• 64.1% of management committees had four or more women members (vs. 52.6% in 2023).
• Thales endorsed the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles.
• The Group continued actively supporting WiTh (We in Thales), an internal, worldwide mentoring programme to help women get ahead in their careers.
• The gender pay gap at Thales, for like-for-like roles, was 2.05%.

Targets:

2026

• 22.5% women in senior management positions.
• 75% of management committees with four or more women members.

2030

• 25% women in senior management positions.
• 85% of management committees with four or more women members.

Zero-tolerance policy on discrimination

The Group has a zero-tolerance policy on discrimination and employees can report concerns via Thales Alert Lines, our internal whistleblowing system.

Together@Thales

The Group's Social and Societal Responsibility Office coordinates Together@Thales, a community of over 750 employees at 126 sites in 32 countries, sharing good practices and reinforcing the Group’s initiatives in these areas. 

We also have local programmes and initiatives in place that align with the laws and practices of each country. In France, for instance, a network of 53 correspondents – specialising in disability matters, and in sexual harassment and sexist conduct – plays a key preventive role.

Staff learn about stereotypes, unconscious bias and non-discriminatory practices through various channels, including surveys, e-learning modules, talks, awareness sessions and hands-on “Fresk” workshops.

Lastly, mentoring schemes help forge stronger intergenerational bonds within the Group.

The Group actively supports local employee-led initiatives:

• In Brazil, managers attend a diversity "masterclass" session.
• In Australia, a reconciliation plan was launched in 2019, including specific measures focused on Aboriginal communities.
• In France, around 150 employees are involved in the “Duo Day” initiative, a chance for interns with disabilities to spend a day at one of our sites.
• In the Netherlands, Thales holds weekly coaching sessions on neurodiversity, which anyone can attend.
• In the UK, HR processes have been overhauled with a stronger focus on inclusion.

Inclusion of LGBT+ employees

Since 2019, Thales has been a signatory of the LGBT+ Commitment Charter of L'Autre Cercle (a signature renewed in 2023), a non-profit at the forefront of LGBT+ workplace inclusion in France. 

The Group participated in the LGBT+ Inclusion Barometer conducted by L'Autre Cercle and IFOP in 2019, 2022, and 2024. In 2024, over 6,600 Group employees took part in the survey, with 92% of respondents reporting that they felt Thales was an LGBT-friendly organisation (compared with 88% in 2022).

The Group also published a booklet and launched an e-learning module aimed at raising awareness and promoting the inclusion of LGBT+ individuals.

In Australia, Thales has joined the Pride In Diversity organisation, which provides access to training and awareness-raising resources to help create an inclusive and caring work environment.

Employees have also created LGBT+ inclusion networks in France, the UK and Australia.

Inclusion of employees with disabilities

Thales has been committed for over 30 years to the employment and integration of people with disabilities. The Group has the twofold ambition of recruiting all kinds of talent, and supporting its disabled employees. 

Thales therefore strives:

• To train people in order to help them integrate into the company;
• To keep disabled employees at work, and develop their skills;
• Develop partnerships with the adapted and protected employment sector (STAP in French)

In 2024, people with disabilities account for 7% of employees in France and 4% of the Group’s total workforce.

Thales has had a dedicated structure for over 30 years to address the employment of people with disabilities, called 'Mission Insertion,' with a network of disability referents at each site, and for each employment area in France.

In France, Thales signed a new Group-wide agreement on the employment of people with disabilities, covering the period 2025–2027, with all representative trade unions. This agreement, which sets a target of 6% disabled employees for each Group entity, outlines enhanced support measures, includes provisions on sourcing from sheltered work and vocational rehabilitation centres, and outlines other steps in areas such as digital and physical accessibility.

Cognitive diversity

Thales strives to embrace diversity in all its forms, including less visible forms such as cognitive diversity, which encompasses neurological differences, some of which are not widely known (autism, Asperger's Syndrome, giftedness, 'dys' conditions, etc.). We believe that everyone should feel safe and respected regardless of their differences, so that they can make the best possible contribution to collective success. 

In the UK and France, employees have created networks to raise awareness of the issue among employees and the wider public, and support those affected by cognitive differences. 

In 2024, the Group partnered with Neurodiversity in Business (in the UK) and Collectif NeuroInclusion (in France), two organisations working to help companies hire and support neurodivergent employees.

Intergenerational diversity

Thales attracts many young graduates, and is ranked highly every year among their preferred places to work.

At the same time, the Group strives to maintain a wide representation of ages among its employees, believing in the benefits of combining the complementary experiences and perspectives of different generations.

Thales has long pursued a dynamic policy of integrating young people onto the workforce. The Group maintains its commitment to this integration through a high level of work-study recruitment and internships. 

In France, Thales signed 1,677 work-study contracts in 2024. We recruit and host over 4,000 young people on internship or apprenticeship contracts globally every year.

The Young Employee Society (YES), a body supported by the Group’s senior management, is open to all newly employed staff members regardless of age. It helps new hires ease into life at Thales, fosters interaction between employees in different departments and entities, and helps nurture an inclusive workplace culture.

Cultural diversity

With operations in 68 countries, Thales is inherently multicultural. This diversity is a source of strength, and contributes to the Group's performance by enabling it to understand the ecosystems in which it operates. Its teams often work on projects spanning multiple countries, bringing different perspectives together to generate new ideas.

In 2024, over 140 nationalities are represented in the Group’s workforce.