Henkel, the well-known German manufacturer of detergents, adhesives and cosmetics, does not seem to regret having one year ago launched a parental leave allowance for a non-standard partner, which does not depend on the sex of the beneficiary and is aimed at its 47,000 employees worldwide. It applies to all forms of parenthood, including adoptive or foster parents, same-sex couples and single-parent families. “Henkel will be the first DAX40 company to offer its employees worldwide eight weeks of parental leave on full pay,” said Carsten Knobel, chairman of the Henkel management board. “In doing so, we are sending a strong signal to all our employees and underlining our strong commitment to promoting a more inclusive culture and greater gender equality.”
As a Berlin correspondent for the French and Swiss press since the late 1990s, I cover a wide range of economic, political and social issues, with a particular focus on the German business and labour market. My areas of interest include co-determination, digitalisation, demographics and ESG/DEI policies.