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

2.0
17 Aug 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
8 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Worked here part-time while going to college. Good co-workers and environment.

Cons

Not much flexibility in schedule

1
4.0
3 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Early career engineers are given significant ownership and exposure to complex operational challenges. Strong focus on safety, technical development, and collaboration across disciplines. Opportunities to work on high-impact projects, interact with senior leadership, and contribute to decisions affecting major assets and infrastructure.

Cons

Workloads can be demanding, and priorities can shift quickly based on operational needs. Decision-making processes can be slow due to organizational complexity, and geographic mobility may be necessary for certain career opportunities.

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