Skip to main content

End of employment

Notice period

Employment arrangements of Executive Directors can generally end by either the employee or the employer providing one month’s notice, or the applicable statutory notice period. For example, under Dutch law, the statutory notice period for the employer will vary in line with the length of service, with the maximum being four months’ notice. Under Dutch law, termination payments are not linked to the contract’s notice period.

The Netherlands statutory end-of-employment compensation

With effect from July 1, 2015, employment legislation in the Netherlands introduced statutory end-of-employment compensation. Under this legislation, every termination (other than following retirement or for cause) of a Dutch employment contract that has continued for a minimum of two years will give rise to an obligation to pay the departing employee transition compensation (“transitievergoeding”). The statutory compensation is capped at one times the annual salary, which is deemed to include variable pay such as the annual bonus. Executive Directors are expected not to claim transition compensation or any other applicable statutory compensation over and above the agreed compensation for loss of office as set out in the “End of employment” table below.

Outstanding entitlements

In cases of resignation or dismissal for cause, fixed remuneration (base salary, benefits, and employer pension contributions) will cease on the last day of employment, variable remuneration elements will generally lapse and the Executive Director is not eligible for compensation for loss of office.

The information below generally applies to termination of employment by Shell giving notice, by mutual agreement, or in situations where the employment terminates because of retirement with Shell consent at a date other than the normal retirement date, redundancy or in other similar circumstances at the REMCO’s discretion.

End of employment

Provision

Policy

Compensation for loss of office

For Executive Directors appointed between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2016, employment contracts include a cap on termination payments of one times annual pay (base salary plus target bonus). Delivery of compensation is mitigated by a contractual obligation for the Executive Director to seek alternative employment and Shell’s ability to implement phased payment terms.

For Executive Directors appointed on or after January 1, 2017, the REMCO may offer a termination payment of up to one times base salary (target bonus will not be included). However, REMCO may be obligated to pay statutory compensation over and above the compensation for loss of office to a departing Executive Director who asserts a statutory claim thereto. Delivery of compensation is mitigated by a contractual obligation for the Executive Director to seek alternative employment and Shell’s ability to implement phased payment terms.

The provision of standard end-of-employment benefits such as repatriation costs, security provision and outplacement support may also be included, as deemed reasonable by the REMCO.

The REMCO may adjust the termination payment for any situation where a full payment is inappropriate, taking into consideration applicable law, corporate governance provisions, the applicability of any statutory compensation and the best interests of Shell and shareholders as a whole.

Annual bonus

Any annual bonus in the year of departure is prorated based on service. Depending on the timing of the departure, the REMCO may consider the latest scorecard position or defer payment until the full-year scorecard result is known.

Bonuses delivered in shares represent the bonus which a participant has already earned and carry no further performance conditions; therefore, these shares will be unrestricted at the conclusion of the normal deferral or holding period respectively and no proration will apply.

LTIP

Outstanding awards are prorated on a monthly basis, by reference to the Executive Director’s service within the performance period. They will generally survive the end of employment and will remain subject to the same vesting performance conditions, and malus and clawback provisions, as if the Executive Director had remained in employment. The three-year holding period will also remain in force for any awards made on or after January 1, 2017. If the participant dies before the end of the performance period, the award will vest at the target level on the date of death. In case of death after the end of the performance period, the award will vest as described in this Policy.