Flipkart Group extends its expansive COVID-19 care initiatives from employees to society
Flipkart has rolled out several medical and non-medical initiatives to its employees, supply chain staff, sellers, etc., to combat COVID-19 in India.
Flipkart Group — India’s leading ecommerce marketplace – has undertaken a multi-pronged approach to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, with efforts not limited just to its employees but also to the larger society.
Flipkart — including its parent company the Walmart Group and its associate companies, PhonePe and Myntra — is exhibiting a culture of care by rolling out numerous medical and non-medical initiatives to combat this deadly pandemic.
It has extended its care and wellness initiatives to its employees, customers, supply chain staff, and third-party partners, among others. In fact, it is extending these initiatives to society at large.
Oxygen supply
To help the medical fraternity fight the pandemic at the frontlines, Walmart and Flipkart will donate up to 20 oxygen-generating plants and 20 cryogenic containers for oxygen storage and transportation. In fact, it will donate over 3,000 oxygen concentrators and 500 oxygen cylinders for delivering oxygen therapy to patients at home or in hospital.
Oxygen cylinders supplied by the Flipkart Group
The Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have also committed to funding an additional 2,500 oxygen concentrators as part of the US-India Business Council and US-India Strategic Partnership Forum’s joint relief efforts. The Walmart Foundation is also donating $2 million to support various NGOs in India.
Moreover, the Flipkart Group has entered into a partnership with state governments and local authorities across India to facilitate the delivery of essential medical supplies and oxygen cylinders.
These also include the delivery of COVID-19 care kits and essential medicines by the Flipkart executives. Earlier, in May, Flipkart executives delivered 3000-4000 COVID-19 care kits daily.
According to the ecommerce company, as of May 17, about 250 oxygen concentrators of 5 litres — facilitated by partner Americares — are on their way to India, while 125 oxygen cylinders of 47 litres are getting delivered in Chikmagalur, Karnataka, with more to follow. Besides, several oxygen cylinders were also delivered in Maharashtra.
Vaccination
The ecommerce giant has commenced a vaccination drive for the frontline employees of Flipkart and Myntra in Bengaluru. It is also partnering with various hospitals to facilitate vaccination camps across India.
Flipkart and Myntra will be covering 100 percent of vaccination cost for all its employees, including five dependents each.
Besides, Flipkart and Myntra employees are provided with all kinds of medical assistance, including both home support and hospital support. This also includes adequate insurance coverage.
The vaccination drive for Flipkart employees
Its insurance coverage measures are also extended to its non-employees, including kirana store owners and seller partners. The company has exempted sellers from the payment of storage fees for May to curb the impact that any seller may have on their inventory, which is fulfilled through Flipkart’s fulfilment centres.
To ensure the safety of its corporate employees, Flipkart has asked them to continue work from home tentatively until August 1, 2021, while Myntra employees can continue to work from home until September 30.
Employee care
Flipkart introduced the ‘COVID Care Leaves’ policy, where an employee can take up to 28 calendar days of paid leave for self-care and healing. Myntra employees can avail themselves of unlimited ‘wellness leaves,’ and up to two weeks of ‘care leaves’ to take care of an ailing family member or themselves.
Flipkart Group partners with the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, UP, to deliver COVID-19 Care kits.
In fact, Flipkart and Myntra employees can seek an advance on their salaries to address medical emergencies or any unexpected expenses on an urgent basis.
Flipkart's customers have also been donating their Flipkart SuperCoins points — which they had earned as shopping loyalty rewards on the app — enabling donations of PPE kits, oxygen cylinders, and the arrangement of ambulance services.
Over 47 million Flipkart SuperCoins have been donated by consumers across the country so far.
Edited by Suman Singh
