WINNING | Unilever PH raises standards for employee benefits

Insider Spotlight

• Unilever Philippines is strengthening employee benefits and workplace protections through policies supporting working parents, caregivers, and LGBTQ+ employees
• The company has extended fully paid maternity leave to 150 days and introduced additional caregiver benefits, exceeding statutory requirements
• Unilever Philippines was named first runner-up in the Gender-Inclusive Workplace category at the 2026 UN Women Asia-Pacific Women’s Empowerment Principles Awards
  
  
  
  

Unilever Philippines is strengthening its workforce policies to address the changing needs of employees, expanding parental benefits, workplace protections, and employee support programs as part of its broader approach to talent management and inclusion.

The consumer goods company recently earned first runner-up recognition in the Gender-Inclusive Workplace category at the 2026 UN Women Asia-Pacific Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Awards, recognizing its efforts to translate workplace inclusion commitments into employee policies.

As companies manage increasingly diverse workforces, employee benefits and inclusive workplace policies are becoming important considerations in attracting, supporting, and retaining talent.

Inclusion framework

Unilever Philippines has developed an inclusion framework built around three pillars: Care, Identity, and Community. These address employees’ caregiving responsibilities, gender identities, and opportunities to build workplace connections.

“True equity begins with recognizing that we don't all start from the same place,” Unilever Philippines HR head and Beauty and Wellbeing Greater Asia HR lead Geeta Royyuru said in a press statement.

The company extended fully paid maternity leave to 150 days for eligible regular and probationary employees, regardless of marital status, with an optional 30-day unpaid extension.

Additional benefits include a 20-day Primary Caregiver Leave covering paternity, adoption, and same-sex partners, alongside two-day childcare leave, an onsite daycare facility, and its Return Ready Programme.

Women currently account for half of Unilever Philippines’ workforce.

Geeta Royyuru

Unilever Philippines head of HR and Greater Asia human resources lead for Beauty and Wellbeing

Gender transition policy

Beyond parental benefits, Unilever Philippines recognizes same-sex domestic partners for medical coverage and primary caregiver leave.

It has also established a Gender Transition Policy supporting transgender and gender-diverse employees, reinforced by workplace protections against harassment and discrimination.

Employee-led communities, including its ProUd Network, parent groups, and fitness clubs, provide additional support. More than 300 employees, representing approximately half of its head office workforce, participate in these groups.

Unilever Philippines will mark its centennial in 2027, maintaining its focus on workplace inclusion alongside its broader sustainability and business priorities.

The company operates household brands including Dove, Knorr, Surf, and Rexona, linking its people-focused initiatives with its long-standing presence in the Philippine consumer goods market. —Vanessa Hidalgo | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma