Staff, kin, business partners: Companies go full steam on vax

Gurgaon: From auto giants like Maruti and Honda to IT majors like TCS and startups like OYO, companies across sectors have begun aggressively vaccinating their employees – a benefit many are extending to dependents as well -- in camps at offices or

private

hospitals while the scramble for slots on Co-WIN continues because of the vaccine shortage at government session sites.

Senior executives TOI spoke to said there was an immediate need to protect their workforce from further onslaughts of the pandemic and inoculations were the only way to boost confidence among employees for a gradual return to return and to bounce back to usual productivity levels from the debilitating second wave of Covid.

In the automobile sector, Maruti, Honda and Hero Motocorp have been vaccinating their employees at camps. At the height of the pandemic this year, all three companies had to shut down production as Covid cases surged in the city and the state. “The decision to vaccinate employees is an immense relief for us as it is very difficult to get a slot otherwise. The vaccine will also boost the confidence of workers,” said an engineer with Hero. The company did not respond to requests for a comment.

Union members at Maruti said 50% of the workers had already been administered the first shot. “This will ensure we don’t have to shut down the plant again because of increasing cases,” said Rajesh Kumar, president of the Maruti Suzuki Mazdoor Sangh.

Manufacturing companies said the decision to inoculate employees was taken keeping “long-term goals” in mind. “This is an unprecedented and ever-evolving situation. So, it is crucial for organisations to have a holistic and long-term approach on employee benefits.

Vaccination

is extremely important at this time,” said Ritu Kochhar, head of human resources at Perfetti Van Melle, the company behind popular brands such as Happy Dent, Center Fresh and Mentos chewing gums. The company has already given workers their first dose at two manufacturing units, including one in Manesar.

According to industry insiders, the need to return to pre-lockdown working models is more urgent for firms associated with the delivery of essential services such as power and utilities. “Protecting our people is our top priority. We are in the business of providing mission-critical technology to the power sector, which is a vital infrastructure and must function uninterruptedly. For us to get back on track, it is crucial that our employees are equipped with the immunity to keep them safe,” said N Venu, CEO and MD of Hitachi ABB Power Grids in 'India'.

Several IT majors have also started vaccination camps for employees as well as their immediate family members. TCS, for instance, has already announced a drive to inoculate its entire workforce. Vinod Sood, Nasscom chair for Haryana, told TOI, “A majority of the organisations are vaccinating their employees. At this moment, it's about their wellbeing and health. However, in the long run, it does impact company productivity. During the second Covid wave, many employees were impacted by the virus or someone in their family was infected. This has caused absence and impacted deliverables. Hence, vaccination will help in improving productivity at workplaces.”

Some startups like Oyo, Zomato and

Swiggy

are also extending vaccination drives to their business partners. OYO, for instance, is vaccinating workers in its partner hotels as well. “We believe that vaccination is key to building trust and confidence among travellers when they are ready to step out again. Our initiative, ‘VaccineAid’, will enable people to see the vaccine status of hotel staff,” said Rohit Kapoor, CEO of OYO India and Southeast Asia. Around 500 employees and partners and their families have received the first dose at OYO so far.

Food delivery companies Swiggy and Zomato announced earlier this week they would be vaccinating their entire fleet and also mention the inoculation status of each delivery executive on their apps. Zomato chief Deepinder Goyal said on Friday the company would sponsor vaccines for 15,000 partners across the country. The company has partnered with a private hospital chain for the vaccination drive. Urban Company has also decided to vaccinate its entire service fleet.