Professional equality between women and men

Gender equality index (women–men)

Companies with at least 50 employees must publish (Article D1142-4 of the French Labour Code), before 01/03 each year, their professional gender equality index, calculated based on four indicators.

These indicators are calculated from data covering a reference period of 12 consecutive months preceding the year of publication.

Annual reference period: 2025

Publication date: 17/02/2026

The overall score for the women–men gender equality index obtained by Cerfacs is 87/100, broken down as follows by indicator:

pay gap: 34/40,
gap in individual pay rise rates: 35/35,
percentage of salaries increased upon return from maternity leave: NOT CALCULABLE,
number of employees of the under-represented gender among the 10 highest earners: 05/10.

Action plan on professional equality between women and men

Cerfacs wishes to continue promoting the principle of professional equality between women and men. Following consultation with the CSE, Cerfacs signed an action plan on professional equality between women and men on 09/12/2025, which was filed with the DREETS on 20/01/2026, in order to take action in three areas:

Recruitment
Cerfacs affirms its commitment to combating all forms of discrimination in recruitment and, more broadly, in the management of its staff. This approach must enable the integration of any employee within the company without discrimination based on culture, nationality, religion, political beliefs, sexual orientation, physical characteristics, or gender.

In particular:

The company's selection and recruitment criteria are strictly based on skills, professional experience and candidates' qualifications, and are identical for women and men.
Job postings are open to women and men without distinction. They are written in such a way that the positions concerned are accessible and attractive to both women and men.

Cerfacs has set itself the objective of strengthening the feminisation rate in Research at Cerfacs, in order to improve the company's gender balance. To achieve this, several measures have been included in the action plan:

Carry out communication and awareness-raising initiatives by appointing women and men in scientific roles to act as ambassadors for these professions in schools and universities;
Share on social media and on the Cerfacs website career paths of Cerfacs female employees and events promoting women in employment and in science;
Promote the environmental initiatives carried out by the company and its employees by communicating on social media—such as LinkedIn—and on the Cerfacs website about the company's environmental added value (for example: the actions of the Carbon group, or the cycling group);
Create a space on the Cerfacs/CSE intranet site in the “Women–men equality” section to make additional resources (documentation) on this topic available to staff;
Use inclusive writing in Cerfacs internal documents (for example: in CSE minutes);
Improve the attractiveness of Cerfacs job postings by adopting a standard template shared by all teams. It must be written in French and English. Job postings must be reviewed by HR to ensure that the vocabulary used is appropriate;
Improve recruitment practices by providing training on gender bias in recruitment. This training is intended for all employees who conduct recruitment within the company.

Equal pay in practice
Cerfacs has always ensured that equality between women and men is respected in this area.
In particular:

Access to part-time work is facilitated for both men and women;
During maternity, adoption or paternity leave, Cerfacs guarantees salary maintenance.

Cerfacs has set itself the following objectives for improvement, to continue ensuring:

Equal pay at recruitment between women and men for the same position, with equivalent qualifications and professional experience, by carrying out an annual comparative analysis between women and men of starting salaries for the same position, with equivalent qualifications and professional experience.
That pay progression throughout professional life for women and men is based on skills, professional experience, level of responsibility, results and expertise in the role held, without regard to gender, by presenting annually a comparative analysis of the average gross pay of women and the average gross pay of men by occupational category, as defined in the company's staff regulations.

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Work–life balance and family responsibilities

Cerfacs is attentive to this balance.
In particular:

Working hours arrangements at the start of the school year have been implemented for employees, whether father or mother;
Leave for a sick child has been introduced to enable employees, whether father or mother, to stay with their sick child.

Cerfacs has set itself the objective of promoting:

The reconciliation of professional activity and family life by strengthening the consideration of parenthood in career paths: offering, on the one hand, any employee who wishes, before maternity, adoption or parental leave, an interview to organise the leave and gather any wishes regarding their return to work, so as to anticipate and prepare their return as effectively as possible; and, on the other hand, limiting meetings held in the evening or early morning in order to allow women and men to carry out their professional activity while also supporting compliance with their family obligations;
Part-time work within the framework of phased retirement, by facilitating the end of employees' careers and enabling them to adjust their working time until they obtain a full-rate pension—either because they have reached the legal age for a full-rate pension or because they have contributed the number of quarters required to qualify for such a pension.

🎬Women Scientists

Over the coming months, Cerfacs will be showcasing the careers of women scientists, and highlighting our women collaborators. Our aim is to encourage young girls to take up a career in science. Read what our young women scientists have to say about their experience at our company and their future projects.