Zomato will build rest points for gig workers under its ‘Shelter Project’, the food tech company said on Thursday. These public infrastructure spots will provide clean drinking water, phone charging stations, access to washrooms, high-speed internet, a 24×7 help desk and first-aid support for its own delivery people and executives from other companies like Swiggy.
Gig workers are those who take up multiple jobs at different, and sometimes competing, companies, such like delivering food for Zomato and Swiggy. They are not tied down by the polices of a single organisation, but aren’t entitled to benefits that a salaried employee would generally enjoy, such as insurance cover.
“We believe that by providing a space for all delivery partners to rest, recharge, and take a moment for themselves, we can create a better environment that promotes their physical and mental health,” the company said in a blog post. The company has already built two such rest points in Gurugram and plans to build more in “the most densest clusters of its food delivery business”.
The announcement comes roughly two months after Fairwork India Ratings 2022 scored Zomato four out of 10 for its treatment of gig workers. Points were awarded to new-age companies based on the working conditions of gig workers as per the minimum standards of fair work. Rival Swiggy had done a tad better with five points.