Between care and career: Why Henkel introduced a gender-neutral parental leave worldwide 

Everything was new for Thiago Rufino when he and his wife Carolina came to Monterrey in Mexico from Jundiaí in Brazil last year. He moved to work for Henkel in the business unit Adhesive Technologies as Head of Operations for Latin America North. For Thiago, this meant a new country, a new job, a new language. And something else was new – and this would change the couple's lives more than anything else. When they arrived in Mexico, it turned out that Carolina was pregnant. 

At a time that was already characterized by a lot of change and uncertainty, an additional concern was that in Mexico, expectant fathers only get three days of paid leave by law. It was therefore reassuring for Thiago to know that Henkel, even before the newly introduced guideline, guaranteed several weeks of parental leave in Mexico. “I will never forget that evening when I told my wife that I would not only be there for the birth but would also be staying at home for the first few weeks afterwards,” says Thiago. His daughter Rafaela was born in September 2023. Thiago then took four weeks off work to be with his family. 

When he found out at the beginning of this year that the existing parental leave options in Mexico had been expanded to a global minimum standard of eight weeks fully paid parental leave, he could hardly believe it. The company tops up the statutory parental allowance of the respective country to the original salary.   

Even though Thiago did not benefit from this new global guideline, as his parental leave happened before the global update, he is happy for all parents-to-be who will have a new addition to their family from January 2024 onwards: “The local program at Henkel Mexico at the time gave me an unforgettable experience with my family after the birth of my daughter. The fact that the company introduced an enhanced global standard for eight weeks of fully paid parental leave for everyone at Henkel is a great signal,” says Thiago. The innovative guideline, which applies to all 48,000 employees worldwide, applies to all genders and all forms of parenthood, including adoptive or foster parents, same-sex couples or single parents.  

With the new parental leave benefit, Henkel wants to support parents-to-be, particularly in the intensive period after the birth, when important bonds are created between children and parents. The guideline is also intended to ensure a fairer distribution of childcare and a better balance between the demands of work and family life. “With the introduction of this global guideline, Henkel is taking on a pioneering role among the German DAX 40 companies,” says Saskia Schmaus, globally responsible for diversity, equity and inclusion at Henkel. “We are also meeting the growing expectations of younger generations, for whom equal childcare is becoming an increasingly important factor in family and career planning.” 

More than 70 countries, 1 global guideline

Gender-neutral parental leave, as the guideline is officially called, applies worldwide in the over 70 countries in which Henkel employs people. The initiative lays an important foundation for family-friendliness and greater gender equity, particularly in countries where parental leave opportunities are currently lacking. “That was perhaps the biggest challenge in implementing the program,” says Saskia, who was driving the project forward with her team. “We had to develop an understanding of the fact that we have a huge imbalance worldwide – and that Germany is not necessarily the standard. In other European countries, it is usually the father who is at a disadvantage, but in some countries in South America or Asia, even women on parental leave do not receive any money under the statutory regulations.”

With the program, Henkel also allows those who are often forgotten, such as single fathers, adoptive parents or foster parents, to participate. “Together with our teams around the world, we developed and implemented the guidelines very quickly,” says Saskia. “We adapted them to the respective local legislation in order to include all family constellations.” 

The innovative guideline, which applies to all 48,000 employees worldwide, applies to all genders and all forms of parenthood, including adoptive or foster parents, same-sex couples or single parents.  

Investment in future generations through time with family

All employees benefit equally from the new model, regardless of gender – even in countries such as Germany, where the new regulation does not go beyond the statutory regulation for women. “Many men have not yet taken the parental leave to which they are entitled because the loss of earnings is limited by law to 1,800 euros per month. In most cases, the father still earns more and has so far thought twice about whether to take time off or not. We pay the difference so that he continues to receive his full salary,” says Saskia. 

In other European countries, too, the new parental leave goes far beyond the statutory regulations. “In France, fathers can take 28 days' leave,” says Antoine Boudon, Head of Talent Acquisition for Henkel working in Paris. He split his parental leave in two: “I took one month straight after the birth of my daughter Tessa. It's a big change for the family and I wanted to spend time with my loved ones and take care of my daughter, who was still so small and fragile after the birth.” Antoine took the second part of his parental leave six months later to support his wife in returning to work and to experience the summer as a family of four. “An initiative like Henkel's parental leave makes things easier. For all parents,” says Antoine.

And the new parental leave guideline is also making a big difference for employees in countries outside of Europe. Jon Lindstrom works as a Training Manager Operations for Henkel in North America. Henkel's new parental leave benefit allowed him to deal with the challenges with greater ease. What he particularly appreciated about it: “As first-time parents, there are several additional life stressors that come along with the joys of parenthood. Henkel’s paid parental leave provided me time with my family, without the stress of work or finances. My wife and I appreciate the uninterrupted time to focus on our new roles as mom and dad.”

Taking important steps to a more equal world

“As a large company, we see ourselves as having a responsibility and are trying to drive change towards a more inclusive society from within,” says Saskia. The new parental leave is directly linked to the company's DEI goals. Diversity, equity and inclusion are promoted through various means with the objective to create a viable future for all and to enable equal opportunities.

With the approach, Henkel is creating a new framework for employees: “It is up to each individual whether they take up the offer. But the company is behind it, it is viewed positively, and it is open to everyone – that once again goes far beyond the legal requirements. Because it is a lived reality and it is wanted internally, it can change more than any legal regulation,” explains Saskia.

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