The dermatological beauty products brand La Roche-Posay has launched “Buoni Sole” in Italy, an initiative that presents sun protection as a work right and not as an individual expense. Inspired by the food voucher system common in several European countries, the project introduces a “UV voucher” that allows companies to subsidize the cost of sunscreen for workers exposed to the sun, thus shifting responsibility from the individual to the work environment.

The proposal is based on relevant data: more than 4 million people work outdoors in Italy and have a significantly higher risk of developing skin cancer. However, more than half do not use sun protection regularly, largely due to the cost of maintaining adequate coverage. Faced with this reality, the brand proposes integrating photoprotection into corporate benefit systems, equating it to other basic elements of workplace safety.

Developed together with BETC Paris and Havas, the initiative transfers the mechanism known good grass (food vouchers) to the health field. In this way, companies contribute financially to access to sunscreen, turning an individual habit into a collective standard in order to redefine the perception of sun protection as part of basic work equipment, on the same level as a helmet or a reflective vest.

To promote its adoption, La Roche-Posay has activated a pilot program with companies from different sectors, from agriculture to leisure, initially assuming the cost of the system. The objective is to demonstrate its viability and encourage its long-term integration into human resources policies, generating a scalable model that can be extended to other companies and markets.

“Buoni Sole” is thus seen as more than just an awareness campaign: it seeks to modify behaviors on a large scale through an operational solution integrated into the business structure. The brand now invites more companies to join the initiative, with the ambition of consolidating a new standard in the protection of workers exposed to the sun.