Thread regarding Shell Oil layoffs

This would definetly be used against you and put in the sh-----t

@23h famous last words, just kidding. Take care!

OP here. Thanks for the replies. I have taken FMLA. My line management has been very supportive. Will report back in the future.

I was laid off in this manner by using FMLA to care for my mother with cancer, and I’ll do it again for my parents. I used it to bring it to her to chemo and after surgeries. Only using it intermittently to avoid a burden on the team. I took call outs during some FMLA day because the line manager was a lazy b-m too worried about softball.

I think I would regret not spending more time with a parent or family member than losing a job. I hope you love your family member and that they love you. Your loving family member might tell you not to take FML because they don't want to be a burden. But trust your heart to know if you need to prioritize a job (you can get plenty of jobs) or an irreplicable person.

Even if an evil supervisor fires you would you regret that more than not spending more time with your parent?

And yes, some supervisors have hearts of gold... unfortunately I didn't have that in any of the three instances where I had a parent or child die. One told me "Jesus died and rose from the dead in three days, so by the 4th day I expect you back to work and back to normal" One time I did have a next level up manager stop the evils of my direct supervisor at the time otherwise they'd have fired me years earlier.

So, document everything and let your next level line management know what is going on.

I knew 2 friends who were shown the door after returning from maternity leave, both purportedly for taking leave and leaving a gap that was filled by someone else. I don't know all the facts because of the nda's but I do know all the personalities and I accept their versions of events. The difference here is I assume a shorter absence.

Pick the path you will regret least, considering others might not act honorably. If you take leave, document the he-l out of everything including recent performance, and keep in communication with your management.

My view is that these are not good or honorable people. They are untrustworthy snakes who do not get up everyday thinking about your interest. They are steeped in Shell's culture of dehumanizing cost cutting, and of valuing people more based on identity factors that can fill a slot to satisfy their manager's HR goals. This dissonance creates an underlying meanness in them and motivates them to act on their visceral instincts just to relieve the internal conflict. They virtue signal and pretend to be good. The record shows otherwise.

Which side do you pick?

Even if you do not take FML, a supervisor may use the circumstances above you. Personally I have experienced this. My supervisor wrote on my GPA that while I had achieved all my goals above standards, my work could have been better if I had not been distracted by the illness and the death of a parent. Despite delivering all goals even stretch goals above the agreed levels, imagine that an evil person can always say that you could have done better and justify giving you a lower IPF based on your experiencing grief. I'm not the only one... lots of evil sociopaths are supervisors.

I know of several people who were eliminated in layoffs after taking FMLA/extended medical leave. It might be federally protected but it’s only such if you can prove they fired you as a consequence.

That said, you should take it and spend time with the actual people who care about you.

I took 5 weeks of FMLA this summer for the same reason, taking some of the burden from my siblings caring for elderly parents. If it cost me my job, so be it. My dad took 2 months off to care for my grandmother was dying of cancer. We weren’t as financially well off and he had 3 young kids and college to save for but we made it work.

You can get another job, you can't get time back spent away from your loved ones in their final days. Take care of yourself and your family.

For as much as everything has changed in recent years, still extremely respectful in this area.

You won't. I've been around a while, too and one good thing in Shell has been never seeing someone be penalized for something like this. And people around you will probably go out of their way to help cover while you deal with this.

First, I'm very sorry about your parent. After 20+ years with Shell, you've earned the right to use the benefits available to you without feeling guilty or worrying about how management might perceive it.

FMLA absolutely can cover caring for a parent with a serious health condition. It's a federally protected right, and Shell cannot legally use your FMLA leave against you when making layoff decisions. That doesn't mean layoffs can't happen while you're on leave, but your leave cannot legally be a factor in selecting you.

I would contact HR, follow the formal FMLA process, and keep documentation of your request and approval. Also, look into Bright Horizons as the other posted noted and any other family-care benefits Shell provides.

You've given Shell more than 20 years of your life. Your time with your parent is something you can never get back. Take care of your family, and don't let the fear of a possible layoff prevent you from doing that.

Everything that commented is correct. Family first I’m not sure if FMLA works for that talk to HR on this . And don’t worry about what shell thinks or should I say the people say sc--w them. I’ve been in your shoes before also we have bright horizons use them you get 80 hours a year at the time I was using them it was like 3.00 and hour and Shell covered the rest.

family first. work is always secondary. they will not target you base on this but if a wave comes and they have to chose between you and another person this may be that slight push that changes things. if this was me, i would not even think about it.

Take care of your parent. Remember, your company only takes care of C-Suite executives and shareholders. Family should always come first.