Family-friendliness and equality are becoming increasingly important for employees. picture alliance / Westend61 | Irina Hess
In 2024, Henkel will be the first DAX40 company to introduce eight weeks of fully paid parental leave for its approximately 50,000 employees worldwide.
Since eight weeks of maternity leave already exist in Germany, fathers in particular benefit from the new guidelines. The statutory parental allowance is increased so that the employees receive their original net salary.
The regulation is being introduced in around 80 countries – including those where there is no statutory parental leave – and is being adapted to country-specific regulations. It applies to all genders and every form of parenthood.
Equal rights in childcare and the compatibility of work and family are becoming increasingly important. It has become a primary factor in family and career planning, especially for young people. Many companies are now relying on family-friendly additional benefits to retain employees.
Henkel, the consumer goods giant best known for detergents and hair care products, will introduce gender-neutral parental leave for its approximately 50,000 employees worldwide in 2024. This means that the Düsseldorf-based company will be the first DAX40 company to offer its employees eight weeks of parental leave with full salary.
Sylvie Nicol, member of the Henkel Executive Board, says: “Child care is often still primarily the responsibility of the mothers. With the initiative we want to support expectant parents and break down traditional gender roles in order to enable everyone to participate in childcare.”
In Germany, fathers particularly benefit
This also includes encouraging fathers to be able to devote themselves to their family in the first few weeks after the birth – without financial losses, says Nicol. Since eight weeks of maternity leave already exist in Germany, fathers in particular benefit from the new guidelines.
The statutory parental allowance, which corresponds to a percentage of the original salary and is capped at 1,800 euros, is increased so that the employee reaches his or her original net salary.
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The regulation applies worldwide and no one is excluded
Paid parental leave applies in the approximately 80 countries in which Henkel employs employees and is adapted to country-specific regulations. In countries where there is no statutory parental leave, the program will take on a pioneering role, writes Henkel in a press release.
No constellation is excluded. Fully paid parental leave applies to all genders and any form of parenthood, including adoptive or foster parents, same-sex couples or single parents.
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