 "Swiggy disbursed over Rs 31 cr in claims to delivery partners in FY22-23")
Food delivery company Swiggy said it has remained committed to the safety and well-being of its delivery partners who play a vital role in delivering its services.
The platform, which is backed by SoftBank, facilitated the payout of a total of Rs 31 crore in claim amounts to its delivery partners in the fiscal year (2022-2023). This is an increase of around 10 per cent when compared to the fiscal year 2021-2022. The company said the increase is significant as Covid-19 pandemic was also more prevalent during 2021-2022.
The Bengaluru-based firm has around 3 lakh delivery partners across 500 plus cities in India.
The platform, which is backed by SoftBank, facilitated the payout of a total of Rs 31 crore in claim amounts to its delivery partners in the fiscal year (2022-2023). This is an increase of around 10 per cent when compared to the fiscal year 2021-2022. The company said the increase is significant as Covid-19 pandemic was also more prevalent during 2021-2022.
The Bengaluru-based firm has around 3 lakh delivery partners across 500 plus cities in India.
Swiggy has been providing insurance to its delivery partners since 2015. It now has partnered with Reliance General Insurance to cover health insurance, personal accident and accidental death, and mobile phone damages.
"Delivery partners are the backbone of our service. There is a common misconception that since they are not employees, they do not have access to healthcare support from Swiggy,” said Mihir Shah, Head of Operations at Swiggy. “For several years now, we have provided carefully considered insurance and other benefits to our delivery partners and their families. Swiggy remains committed to providing industry-best safety and well-being practices to our delivery partners."
In addition to the insurance, Swiggy provides a comprehensive package of benefits for its delivery partners, including insurance coverage for health, Covid-19, personal accidents, and mobile phones. They can avail of mobile insurance cover of Rs 5000.
Along with hospitalization and OPD cover, Swiggy delivery partners receive Rs 10 lakh in case of fatalities, with 96 per cent of the claims getting settled within seven days.
Delivery partners and their dependents have access to free and on-demand ambulance service and cashless claims at over 8000 network hospitals across India. Swiggy said it also introduced an industry-first ‘no questions asked’ two days of paid period time off every month for its women delivery partners in 2021.
Swiggy’s chief rival Zomato last year said that delivery partners have access to healthcare, with a medical cover worth Rs. 1,00,000. This can also be extended to their family members. The New Delhi-based firm said that in FY22, 9,210 partners were supported with Rs 15.94 crore worth of disbursements, out of which Rs 9.8 crore was purely used for hospitalisation against illnesses and diseases.
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The delivery giant also offers Rs 5,000 worth of Out-Patient Department (OPD) support, which can be extended to their families. According to company data, 13,645 delivery partners and their families benefited from OPD support in FY22, with Rs 2.3 crore disbursed in claim amounts.
For any injury causing a temporary disability to delivery partners, Zomato said it offers loss of pay of Rs 525 per day up to Rs 50,000. Zomato had also said it offers Rs 10,00,000 worth of life cover as a safety net. This includes a dedicated amount for funeral expenses in cases where delivery partners lose their lives.According to Zomato’s data, total claims disbursed in FY22 increased 5.5x compared to FY21.
Swiggy said that all women delivery partners and spouses of male delivery partners are eligible for maternity cover. To secure the delivery universe for women partners the company also launched a ‘Prevention of Sexual Harassment policy in 2022 to assist with related grievances.
Also, Swiggy said it supports women delivery partners by offering two days of paid period time off every month to all its regular delivery partners. Delivery by bicycle is a viable option for short-distance orders, especially for women who don't own two-wheelers. Over 22 per cent of women delivery partners at Swiggy deliver on bicycles.
Swiggy said more than 99 per cent of its deliveries happen safely. However, in cases where a delivery partner is injured or hospitalised, Swiggy offers Rs 2 lakh for accidental medical coverage for hospital bills and additional OPD cover. In addition to emergency funds for non-network hospitals, cashless claims are available at more than 8,000 network hospitals across India within 2 hours. In case of emergencies, delivery partners and
their dependents can make use of a toll-free number to get access to a free and on-demand ambulance service with an average response time of 12 minutes. Additionally, an SOS button on the delivery app connects them immediately to Swiggy hotline, ambulance services or the police helpline.