Global Minimum Standard for paid Maternity Leave
Shell offers a global minimum standard of 16 weeks paid maternity leave, enabling new mothers to put their families first and spend more time with their newborns.
Shell offers a global minimum of 16 weeks paid maternity leave
If you are starting out in your career, paid maternity leave as a benefit might not be at the forefront of your mind just yet. But at some point, it could become very important to you, your partner, and your child.
Adjusting to new experiences, routines and sleep schedules is more than enough to occupy your time when you鈥檝e just had a baby. Uncertainty associated with taking maternity leave can sometimes add further challenges.
That鈥檚 why Shell provides a global minimum of 16 weeks paid maternity leave This initiative is intended to support working mothers and their families. It鈥檚 another example of Shell鈥檚 commitment to creating an inclusive workplace and demonstrating our care for our employees and their families.
鈥淎ll women should receive the support they need as new mothers, regardless of where they are in the world. Having a global maternity standard at Shell is not only the right thing to do, but it also makes business sense. It makes us more attractive to women seeking jobs, and means they stay with us for longer鈥� says (proud mum) Claire P.
An important step towards gender balance
Our new maternity framework adds to the ways in which we are actively working to maintain our position as a leading employer of top talent.
External research shows that longer maternity leave positively impacts health for both mothers and children, and also supports earning power continuity for women. It鈥檚 no wonder that it also benefits companies by supporting attraction and retention efforts.
Caring for our employees and their families
While the standard explicitly addresses paid leave, Claire believes it also creates an opportunity for important conversations around what women experience in Shell prior to, during, and after their maternity leave.
As a dual-career family, returning to work after maternity leave was always in the plan for Claire. She says: 鈥淣othing could have prepared me for the overwhelming exhilaration and exhaustion of becoming a mother when my son James was born.鈥�
Ronan Cassidy, Chief Human Resources & Corporate Officer, feels this standard will give prospective employees an insight into Shell鈥檚 commitment to being progressive and inclusive. 鈥淭he true hallmark of our progress is that inclusion is embedded in everything we do,鈥� he says. 鈥淥ffering a minimum standard for paid maternity leave across Shell is good for our people and for our business, and, in my view, is simply the right thing to do.鈥�