Air Liquide has one of the most toxic company cultures I’ve experienced, and it largely stems from the Paris headquarters.
There is a strong sense of arrogance, ego, and cultural superiority. If you don’t speak French, you are treated as stupid or irrelevant, even in international contexts. At one HQ event full of international employees, the CEO openly chose to speak French and told people to “just ask colleagues to translate.” That moment perfectly summarized the mindset.
Humiliation in the office was not uncommon, especially toward non-French employees. Respect and inclusion felt performative at best.
If management dislikes you, they will find ways to push you out. Performance ratings can be manipulated to justify termination. I saw this happen directly to my previous manager.
Despite branding itself as a global company, Air Liquide’s HQ culture feels rotting, outdated, and actively harmful — and it spreads to other regions. This was a major reason I left.
