Amazon, HCL offer special allowances to staff amidst pandemic

Amazon India has revealed its plans to pay a one-time COVID allowance of Rs 30,600 to each of its employees to take care of expenses pertaining to in-house COVID care, including medicines and medical equipment. In case the expenses go beyond the limit of the insurance cover due to hospitalisation, the Company will give an additional reimbursement of up to Rs 1,90,000 to take care of insurance-approved hospital expenses. This move will benefit even the frontline staff employed through agencies.

The Company had already said it would cover the vaccination cost of its workforce in India, including employees, sellers, associates as well as its delivery service partners, drivers, trucking partners, store partners and their dependents. It is paying Rs 1,500 to all its associates employed through staffing agencies towards both doses of vaccines. The Company had earlier sent $5 million worth medical equipment to hospitals across India, including ventilators and BiPAP machines.

Meanwhile, HCL has introduced a holistic Family Assistance Program for its staff, which includes the following:

1. A lump sum compassionate assistance allowance given to the family of an employee who has lost his/her life to COVID, to manage immediate expenses.

2. Child education support given to the deceased employees’ children (w.e.f from April 2020) so that their education continues unhindered.

3. Payment of medical insurance premium for the dependents of the deceased employees for two more policy terms to help them manage unforeseen medical expenses.

4. Gratuity payment to employees’ families, even if the deceased employee had not served continuously for five years.

5. Employment opportunities to the unemployed spouse or children of the deceased employees, depending on their qualification and employability.