Coronavirus pandemic: Here’s what Flipkart, Zomato, Swiggy, Ola, Uber are doing for delivery agents and cabbies, who can’t work from home

• The World Health Organization officially declared COVID19 a pandemic.
• While companies are offering work from home to its employees, delivery agents and cab drivers have no such liberty.
• Here are the steps taken by Flipkart, Zomato, Swiggy, Ola, Uber to help their partners.

The Coronavirus fear has gripped the world – the World Health Organization has officially declared it a pandemic. People are now avoiding travel, public areas while the sale of sanitizers and masks is at an all time high.

Indian startups, which are known for their flexible work culture, are now encouraging employees to work remotely.

But, there is a whole workforce out there which can’t afford to do work from home like – delivery agents, cabbies and more. Asking them to stop work would mean businesses will come to a halt, which companies too cannot afford to do.

However, most are taking steps to help out delivery agents in all possible ways. Globally, Uber is considering a suspension of drivers and riders who have been infected with Coronavirus, although it may give drivers a paid leave.

Two of the confirmed cases in India include cab drivers who were driving around infected people and picking people up from the airport.

Ride hailing startup Ola has kept sanitizers and masks at its walk-in centres around the country. It has also shared a ‘detailed health advisory’ with its driver partners. “We encourage everyone to proactively report any instance that may be symptomatic for us to help action and guide appropriately,” said the company in a statement.

Flipkart has asked its employees to take a ‘mandatory work from home’ for three days and asking delivery agents who aren’t feeling well to not come into work. It is supplying them with sanitizers as they interact with multiple customers.

Food delivery startups Swiggy and Zomato, which have lakhs of delivery executives too are taking precautions. Swiggy has said that customers who are unwell can pay online and request the delivery partner to leave the package by the door.

“Should a delivery partner notice any associated symptoms, they’ve been asked to immediately reach out to us and consult a medical professional. We are providing them with free medical consultation through our partners in such cases,” said Swiggy’s email to consumers.

Zomato is making its delivery partners more aware about the crisis so that they can focus on their well being and also ensure safe handling of food.

"We are utilising the partner app as well as SMS services to broadcast WHO best practices among other important information such as COVID-19 testing laboratory locations as issued by the Ministry of Health. We are also sharing videos with our partners and putting them on our partner app to allow easy access to information,” Zomato spokesperson told Business Insider.

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