Up is committed to the "France Une Chance" project

[Translate to anglais:] La France, Une Chance

In France, during a digital event on "Diversity, inclusion and commitment", organised on 18 March, the Up group introduced its employees to the testimonies of associations supported by its Up Foundation. This event also marked the official launch of the company's commitment to the "France Une Chance" project and its new areas of work in favour of inclusion.

Commitment according to Up

"Commitment is an integral part of our history", notes Audrey Richard, the Group's HR Director. In fact, it is included in the title of the Human Resources Department, which is also the Department for Employee Commitment. The role of HR is also to create the conditions for everyone's commitment: employees, managers and union representatives. So that their daily actions reflect our values, both internally and externally. " 

In concrete terms, diversity, the promotion of equal opportunities and quality of life at work are key areas of Up's social policy, in line with its strategic project and its threefold differentiation, performance and quality of life at work.

Created in 2011 within the HRD, the Diversity mission initiates and deploys the priority actions to be carried out to make difference a factor of performance in the company and ensure the well-being of its employees on a daily basis.

The diversity themes addressed up to now during awareness-raising, training and solidarity missions are mainly disability, the integration of young people from urban political districts, people who are far from employment and professional equality between men and women.  All the actions carried out by the Cooperative in these areas have one thing in common: they promote the meeting of differences to break down fears and aim for equality.

Supporting evidence

Up's disability policy is an example of the virtues of openness to difference. At the end of 2020, the Cooperative had exceeded the legal obligation to employ disabled people, set at 6%, thanks to the recruitment of disabled employees, and also thanks to the freeing of the voice of certain employees already in post. "Our awareness-raising and communication campaigns on disability are bearing fruit: many employees have been able to speak out and declare their disability, thus improving their day-to-day support, explains Chérifa Messaoudi, Diversity Manager. Our work on the inclusion of disabilities has enabled us to develop expertise that can be applied to a more global equality policy, which can then be applied to gender and age, which is still the main criterion for discrimination in employment in France."

Actions are also regularly organised (job fairs, speed dating, job search support, meetings with professionals, etc.) with partners to promote the integration of young people and seniors through various partnerships.

Finally, each year, the Up group donates 20% of the apprenticeship tax to organisations working for social integration.

"La France Une Chance

The Group's commitments include

- Membership of the United Nations Global Compact; 

- The Diversity Charter;

- The Group Agreement on the fight against discrimination and for the promotion of diversity;

- The 2nd Disability Agreement approved by the DIRECCTE;

- The agreement on professional equality between men and women and QWL;

- France Une Chance. The charter of companies that commit themselves".

Recently, by joining "La France Une Chance", Up joined the national banner that federates the ecosystem of companies committed to innovating in employment and acting in favour of inclusion.

The programme supported by the Minister of Labour, Employment and Integration and steered by the High Commissioner for Employment and Business Commitment, supports the transformation of the role of business to create a more inclusive, sustainable, local and supportive economy.

By joining this national club, Up has set itself new areas of work: the professional integration of young people in prison and refugees. Thanks to its long-standing links with associations working with these vulnerable populations (Possible and Emmaüs Solidarité), Up is once again focusing on raising awareness, meeting people and sharing, in order to deconstruct stereotypes and contribute to the professional and social integration of these groups.