Ocyan Formalizes Extension of Parental Leave Rights for LGBTQIA+ Members

The Measure Now Safeguarded by an Internal Directive Guarantees Children of Same-Sex Parents or Single Fathers the Right to a 120-Day Leave Plus 15 Additional Days, for Example

Rio de Janeiro, June 28, 2023 – The oil and gas company Ocyan officially announces, on International LGBTQIA+ Pride Day celebrated this Wednesday, the extension of parental leave rights for members of this community or single parents. Thus, the leave for the first caregiver will be aligned with the period of 120 days and the additional 15 days, regardless of the gender or sexual orientation of the parents. In addition to ensuring the right to equitable time with parents in the initial months of family contact, the measure reinforces the company’s pillars of diversity and inclusion. The benefit also covers cases of adoption.

Since August 2019, Ocyan mothers have been able to choose to extend their leave by an additional 15 days or continue with a reduced daily shift of four hours, until the baby turns six months old. Aiming to provide parents with the opportunity to spend more time with their newborns, since January 2020, company members have benefited from an extension of paternity leave, which increased from five days mandated by law to 15 calendar days, starting from the baby’s birth. Both benefits have been extended to LGBTIQA+ members or single parents, now formally regulated as an internal Directive.

Given the traditional and conservative profile of the oil and gas industry, Ocyan has been developing initiatives to make the environment increasingly inclusive. “We celebrate this achievement in favor of the equal rights of LGBTQIA+ members and their children. The formalization is another step forward at Ocyan in promoting the well-being of this community. We had previously granted the extension of rights to women members who were lesbian mothers but not gestational, in a deliberate manner. This landmark is the acknowledgment of the right and regulation in the company’s Benefits and Compensation Directive, which ensures that the measure will be implemented throughout the company regardless of the area or management,” celebrates Nir Lander, Vice President of People and Management at Ocyan.

In the first half of this year, Ocyan conducted the survey Great Place to Work, which had a specific demographic focus on the segment of LGBTQIA+ members. Among the indicators, one stands out: “People here are treated well regardless of their sexual orientation” (score 82).

“The result shows that we are on the right track in promoting the well-being of the internal LGBTQIA+ population. According to the internal survey respondents, we have 4% of self-declared homosexual, transgender, bisexual, or intersex people in the company, from 1,171 respondents. Of that amount, 3% hold leadership positions. Our challenge now is to ensure that everyone, whether leaders or not, feels comfortable being who they are without fear. Psychological safety around this issue has a direct impact on member productivity,” highlights André Luiz Barros, Communication, Social Responsibility, and Diversity Manager at Ocyan.

Equity in Practice

As part of the company’s Diversity and Inclusion Program, Ocyan created, two years ago, the LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group (GA), dedicated to discussing and implementing actions to support the inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ public in the organizational environment.

The group has three guiding principles to enhance respect and coexistence, aiming to ensure the ongoing relevance of the theme, especially considering the company’s area of operation, the oil and gas sector, which typically has less diversity. The guiding principles are Well-being, to discuss and ensure the psychological safety of employees and service providers; Equity, which addresses opportunities, rights, and benefits for this public; and Awareness of Leadership, a process that has already been carried out transversely and through other groups to increase diversity.

In 2022, the GA was responsible for a series of internal actions: training for the literacy of People Management teams on recruiting, selecting, and hiring members of the LGBTQIA+ group; Special Action on International LGBTphobia Combat Day; Awareness Lecture on Equity and Equality Day with the theme “Toxic Masculinity”; Reinforcement of the Ethics Line channel (encouraging its use in cases of homophobia); and the study of extending Paternity and Maternity Leave for the LGBTQIA+ public.

Ocyan’s Diversity and Inclusion Program was launched in 2019. Since then, the focus has been on mobilization and sensitization of company members. Now, Ocyan continues to seek to develop practical actions to further strengthen the LGBTQIA+ culture in the company.

About Ocyan

Ocyan is a supplier in the oil and gas and new energy sectors that values safety first, trusted partnership, and commitment to society. Its operations include providing solutions for the offshore industry in production through the joint venture Altera&Ocyan, subsea construction, and decommissioning projects, as well as maintenance and offshore services. It also has equity participation in the offshore drilling segment through the new drilling company, Foresea. Ocyan is also advancing studies and projects related to new services and energies. More information: www.ocyan-sa.com.

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