How these benefits help build an ideal workplace

Photo source: Unilever Philippines

Life is meant to be enjoyed to the fullest—whether it is achieving our goals, seeing the world, meeting new people, or building a family. 

Work is also a vital part of our lives, ensuring we achieve the life we want and provide for our family's needs and wants.

A healthy work-life balance allows us to find happiness both at work—being productive and excelling—and outside of work, where our well-being and relationships with others may grow.
 
Unilever Philippines has created programs and policies that allow their employees to be their best selves inside and outside of work. 

Unilever Philippines' vision

Unilever Philippines' vision extends far beyond its factories and offices. They want to make society good by fighting inequality and discrimination. They start by making sure their own workplaces are fair and diverse. Unilever has been working towards respecting rights, building skills, and creating equal opportunities for all, regardless of gender identity, race, age, or religion.

One important value that they uphold is malasakit or compassion. Treating their employees and their families with respect and dignity is top priority for the company. 

Equity, diversity, and inclusion

EDI or Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion are at the heart of Unilever Philippines' values, leadership behaviors, and management practices. 

- Equity refers to eliminating systemic barriers that inhibit full participation while providing equal access to opportunities for all. 

- Diversity is about achieving a demographic mix of people, including those from marginalized and underrepresented groups.

- Inclusion is the act of creating a work culture in which individuals may fully participate.   

Geeta Royyuru, Beauty & Wellbeing SEA HR Lead and Philippines Head of HR at Unillever, reiterated the company's vision, "At Unilever, our equity ambition is to UNLIMIT people's potential. We aim to bring down the barriers that limit people. It starts with having deep empathy that not everyone gets to start from the same place, and then leading by example with intentional people & workplace practices that offer equitable opportunities."

"58% of our management comprises women leaders, and we believe that gender diversity enables other forms of diversity and inclusion to thrive. We are proud to be practicing gender neutral policies including health coverage, fertility treatment leave, child care leave, transition of gender expression, and more," said Royyuru. 

Inclusive policies

Unilever offers various benefits to support diverse family structures, including the following:

120-day maternity leave: Introduced in 2017, Unilever Philippines offers a 120-day expanded maternity benefit, complemented by 20 days of paid paternity leave—a significant increase from the seven-day paternity leave mandated by Philippine law. 

 Inclusive healthcare policy: Partners of employees, regardless of gender, may be enrolled as beneficiaries to access healthcare benefits. 

Adoption leave: Paid absences are also granted to parents who are adopting a child aged six months and below.

In acknowledging the different forms of unions and families, employees may be the best they may be for their family, and this inspires how they show up for the workplace, too.

Kay Veloso, a working mom and the Beauty & Wellbeing SEA Growth Media & Performance Lead at Unilever, shared her appreciation, "I am really proud to be part of Unilever and am lucky that the company has seen and supported me through different life stages - from entering as a single mid-career hire to getting married to now having two children. Our maternity leave policy gives new mothers 120 days of childcare, beyond what is mandated by law."

Veloso also highlighted other benefits she avails for her growing family. "We also have daycare and nursing facilities onsite, and in case of emergencies, we can also avail of childcare leave to look after our children. All of this allows me to give the best possible care to my children. It lessens the mental and emotional load of leaving them behind, and I am able to bring my best self at work and at home." 

Hybrid working and work-life balance  

Herbert Hallig, Deo R&D Lead for Personal Care SEA at Unilever shared how the flexibility on their work schedule allows him to be productive on-sight while leading his team. "At work, I have the flexibility to arrange my schedule such that I have collaborative days in the office, including face-to-face check-in with my team, which we all appreciate as it establishes more personal connections," he said.

Hallig also shared how he manages to enjoy his free time with his friends and family, "In my free time, I engage in a wide variety of activities ranging from watching sports, working out, binge watching, and personal errands. This is also the best time to spend time with family and close friends. I am fortunate to be part of an organization that enables both flexibility and productivity. Unilever's hybrid working policy allows me to flex my time between work, my wellbeing, family and even my passion for teaching and travel."

Inclusivity for employees and consumers

Richard Velasquez, Home Care SEA and Philippines Head of Customer Strategy & Planning at Unilever mentioned the efforts they do to help ensure inclusivity in their projects. "Our goal is to make sure that tasks as trivial as doing your laundry or cleaning your toilet is a delightful experience. That means keeping the shopper at the heart of everything we do. To do that, we need to make sure we know all our shoppers, not just a few. And I think that is inclusivity in action—knowing, understanding and respecting the needs of your consumers and shoppers and finding ways to delight them," he said.  

Velasquez added that "this mindset is very much alive in Unilever. All of us here are different and unique in our own ways, but we always foster a culture of knowing, understanding and respecting each other and finding ways to listen to each other's needs. And we do it effortlessly. In Home Care, everyone is authentic and respectful. It is always a safe space to be your authentic self. And because of that, I am not just proud to be part of this company, but I also feel at home." 

Proud to be U

Inclusivity extends beyond the workplace, with Unilever Philippines advocating for a fair and equitable society. 

Carol Cerveza, Communications and Employee Engagement Executive at Unilever Philippines, shared her thoughts on Unilever Philippines' purpose programs around EDI. "It makes me feel proud to work for Unilever, where ED&I is in its DNA, brought to life with equitable employee policies and brands in action, like Closeup and Surf. Through the Unilever GIVES employee volunteerism program which I lead, we empower our employees to get involved, take action, and work with our brands to help communities and positively impact society." 

As Unilever Philippines continues its journey towards equity, diversity, inclusivity, and malasakit, employees take pride in embracing these values. This supportive environment allows employees like Cerveza, Velasquez, Hallig, Veloso, and Royyuru to be their authentic selves at work, contributing meaningfully while balancing their personal lives. Unilever Philippines' commitment to EDI and work-life balance demonstrates how these factors may contribute to a workplace where everyone may thrive.

To learn more about Unilever Philippines' initiatives, visit their website, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.