Swiggy announces 4-day work week for employees for May

Online food delivery platform Swiggy on Monday announced a four-day work week for employees for the month of May. Employees have also been given the flexibility to choose the four days they want to work in a week.

The company said the move is keeping in mind the unprecedented times amid a rising number of Covid infections across the country and is aimed at the physical and mental well-being of employees.

“As a mark of respect for the efforts and the month that May can be with the Covid cases escalating, we want to offer a 4 day work week to all of you,” Girish Menon, head of HR at Swiggy, wrote in an internal mail to employees.


“Please decide the four days that each of you would work and utilise the extra day to take rest, take care of yourself, take care of your family and friends,” Menon said in the note. “As many of you are aware, we have put together a Covid task force and we can definitely do more with more hands on the deck. Hence, if any of you would like to volunteer and actively help on the break day, you’re welcome.”

The company has set up a pandemic support mechanism and an emergency support team to assist employees during this crisis. This includes an app called Swiggy Shield app and an employee support hotline. The Covid-19 support infrastructure helps employees to access hospital beds, ICUs, plasma and oxygen cylinders, ambulance support, and other emergency services through the company’s network of partners, volunteers and healthcare providers

The company provides online doctor consultation and medical support for employees who are recovering under home quarantine. It gives home isolation/quarantine care coverage and reimbursements for all employees and hospitalisation cover for employees and family.

Employees or their family members, who require quarantine spaces, will be given access to temporary facilities with necessary nursing support. Non-Covid positive employees living with friends or family members who have tested positive will have access to self-quarantine facilities.

Other support include giving salary advances, leave encashments and access to loans and early release of salary for the month of May for Grade 1 to 6 employees.

After announcing vaccination cover for its delivery partners in March, Swiggy will also roll out similar Covid relief initiatives for them.