Diversity, equity & inclusion

One-size-fits-all approaches to work are increasingly at odds with how people perform best. Some are naturally more productive in the morning, others find their flow later in the day.

Life happens. Dogs need walking. Children have dentist appointments. Everyone deserves to prioritise their physical and mental wellbeing without compromising their career.

At Hempel A/S, our Flexible Work Policy offers colleagues the flexibility to thrive at home and at work. While not all roles at Hempel offer the same level of flexibility, our principle is the same: flexibility should be tailored to each employee’s needs and circumstances. 

When most people hear “workplace flexibility”, they immediately think of remote work. While that could be part of it, we take a broader view: flexibility in role, location and schedule.

Take Patricia Ferrando, from our R&D team in Spain. As a mother of two teenagers, Patricia and her manager have worked out an arrangement where she spends part of her day at the lab, then completes the rest of her work from home. This allows her to be present when her youngest son gets home from school.

“We have lunch together and I listen to him talk about his day,” Patricia explains. “It allows me to focus on what truly matters - making sure my son is eating well, looking over his agenda, having a conversation and then I finish the day’s work. I’m grateful to Hempel for this opportunity, and so is he.” 

Real flexibility works because it’s built on mutual trust. When people have the freedom to work in ways that suit them best, they naturally want to do good work - and they do.

For Mehrajuddin Sheikh in our Mumbai office, flexibility looks different again. Living 30 kilometers from the office, he works from home twice a week, which saves hours of commuting - time he can invest in better collaboration with his global teammates across Europe and the US.

But the flexibility extends beyond logistics. It also allows him time to support his mother with physiotherapy, care for his grandmother and honour cultural practices, such as Ramadan. 

“I can work a few hours in the office, then go home to pray and break my fast (during Ramadan),” explains Mehrajuddin. Yet he’s equally clear about the value of office presence: “As the senior member of the team, I’m always ready to support my colleagues in their day-to-day tasks. Being physically present does make a big difference.” 

Whether someone is at their most productive in a bustling office environment, benefits from quiet concentration at home, or needs flexible scheduling to support family responsibilities, the goal of Hempel’s Flexible Work Policy is simple: create conditions where everyone can thrive and contribute their best.

Interested in exploring opportunities at Hempel? Discover more about our workplace culture and current openings on our careers page.