Hermès opens its workshops to 100 duos for an inclusive immersion day

Imagine spending an entire day alongside a craftsperson or employee at one of the world’s great luxury houses, getting an inside look at a profession that genuinely matches your ambitions. That is exactly what Hermès is offering to around a hundred people with disabilities, as part of the Duo Day initiative.

A concrete commitment from Hermès to professional inclusion

During the week of 17 November, around a hundred pairs will be formed within the house’s teams. Each duo brings together a person with a disability and a volunteer employee. The goal is clear: to offer a hands-on immersion into a craft or profession that connects directly with the participant’s background or career aspirations.

This is no one-off gesture. It sits within the Disability Agreement signed by Hermès in 2017, a structural framework that is regularly updated and engages all stakeholders across the group. The agreement covers three main pillars: recruitment, integration, and the long-term employment of people with disabilities.

Through this commitment, the house makes clear that inclusion is not merely symbolic. It is built into lasting mechanisms embedded in the group’s broader policy.

Duo Day: born abroad, now firmly rooted in France

Duo Day is not a French invention. Launched in Ireland in 2008, it was introduced in France in 2016. Its principle rests on a direct encounter between an active professional and someone looking to explore a sector or confirm a career direction.

For participants, the day is far more than a visit. It is a rare opportunity to observe, ask questions, and picture themselves in a real professional environment, with no immediate recruitment pressure. For the employees who welcome them, it is also a chance to pass on their expertise and open themselves up to a wider range of profiles.

During the 2025 edition, around 190 pairs were formed across the network, in France and internationally. The 2026 edition plans for around a hundred duos, confirming that this practice has become a permanent fixture in the house’s calendar.

Figures that reflect a structured employment policy

Beyond the immersion day itself, the numbers reveal the full scale of the commitment. The house reports a direct employment rate for people with disabilities of over 8%. This figure exceeds the legal threshold in force in France, placing the house among the most proactive employers on this issue.

• Disability Agreement signed in 2017, regularly updated
• Direct employment rate for people with disabilities above 8%
• Around 190 pairs formed during the 2025 edition, in France and internationally
• Around a hundred duos planned for the 2026 edition
• Increased purchasing from sheltered workshops and work assistance establishments

Inclusion does not run through direct recruitment alone. The house also intends to strengthen its partnerships with sheltered companies (entreprises adaptées, EA) and work assistance establishments (établissements de services d’aide par le travail, ESAT). These organisations employ people with disabilities and produce goods or services. By directing its purchasing towards them, the house creates a ripple effect that extends well beyond its own workforce.

What this approach changes for candidates with disabilities

For a person with a disability looking to find their path or change careers, gaining access to a house like this can feel daunting. Duo Day partly removes that barrier. It offers direct access to professions that are often little known, in a supportive setting with no immediate selection pressure.

The fact that this day is underpinned by a structural agreement also guarantees a degree of continuity. Participants are not discovering a company dabbling in inclusion for the duration of an event. They are meeting an organisation that has formalised this commitment for several years and continues to develop it.

Finally, the international dimension of the initiative deserves to be highlighted. Pairs are formed not only in France but also abroad, reflecting a genuine desire to extend this culture of inclusion beyond French borders.