WARNING....Worst Work/life balance - Material Planner Shell Employee Review

2.0
Aug 17, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Worked at Shell in Woodcreek in Houston, TX. The only thing that was worth about working for Shell oil sector was the pay. Eventhough I never received a bonus.

Cons

No bonus because they are subjective based on how the company performs. The worst work/life balance I had ever experience. They "give" you every other Friday off, however, you better be online working or else you will fall behind. I would find myself working sometimes until midnight during the week to keep up with work. At times, I would work on the weekends to stay up to date and would notice my coworkers and cross-functional teams would be doing the same as they would be "online" via skype. Shell used skype (like many use Zoom) for you to show your online status (offline, away, in a meeting, etc.). Managers would use your online status to gauge how "good" of an employee you were. I was warned/counseled by my upper management because they noticed my online status had been "away" 3 times in a day for 20 mins each time and to them that was unacceptable. Diversity and Inclusion is not a top priority. If your last name did not start with "Van something" or you are not Dutch, forget about climbing the corporate ladder there. Dealt with 5 reorganizations in two years, which means it is very unstable and many people kept getting laid off.

Explore other reviews about Shell

5.0
May 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Shell is a wonderful company to work for. They truly support your continued development and many employees have been here for 20+ years. The work culture is one that provides a feeling of true psychological safety.

Cons

There are lots of meetings.

3.0
Jun 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

My team is really good and nice to be around

Cons

Not much trajectory moving up

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