Swiggy on Wednesday announced that it will cover the cost of vaccination for its fleet of active delivery partners. The announcement comes a day after the central government opened up the next phase of the vaccination drive for all those above 45 years of age. Swiggy said it has a fleet of over 2 lakh delivery executives.
In the first tranche of the programme, 5,500 of Swiggy’s delivery partners, aged 45 and above will be eligible to opt-in for the vaccination. By the end of the program, Swiggy said it hopes to encourage its 2,00,000 plus delivery partners to get vaccinated. The company said it is also requesting authorities to prioritise delivery partners in the vaccine drive.
Swiggy COO Vivek Sunder said the company will also cover the loss of pay when delivery executives take time off to get vaccinated.
“Over the past year, our delivery women and men have been a lifeline for the nation, delivering food and other essentials to millions of Indians during their time of need. As we continue to make all efforts to fight the pandemic, we are creating awareness across our fleet and extending our Covid cover to include access to vaccination for all delivery partners. We will also cover the loss of pay when they take the time off to get vaccinated. This is another step in doing our bit for our partners who are supporting not just themselves and their families but also the society as essential service providers,” he said.
The company said it is working with a healthcare partner to create awareness and communicate the necessary know-how and precautions by conducting workshops and counselling sessions for its delivery partners before the vaccination.
“If the partners choose to get the vaccination at a government facility, Swiggy will still continue to cover the loss of pay for that period,” Swiggy said in a statement.
It added that it will extend its free telemedicine consultation and app-based support for delivery partners for the program.