Online food delivery platform Swiggy has introduced a a two day time-off policy to support its women delivery partners during their menstrual cycle. The Softbank-backed company said it is accommodating a “no-questions-asked, two-day paid monthly period time-off policy” for its women delivery partners struggling to work on ‘that day of the month’
“Discomfort from being out and about on the road while menstruating is probably one of the most underreported reasons why many women don’t consider delivery to be a viable gig. To support them through any menstruation related challenges, we’ve introduced a no-questions asked, two-day paid monthly period time-off policy for all our regular female delivery partners,” Swiggy Head of Operations Mihir Shah said in the blog post.
The delivery partners can voluntarily take time-off and be eligible for a minimum earnings guarantee during that time.
Swiggy has also taken measures like ‘safe zones’ and capping delivery hours for female partners at 6pm. “However, we realized that this move limited true inclusivity, while also restricting female partners from delivering during one of the most lucrative slots—the dinner peak. We’re changing that by bettering our security processes,” Shah underlined in this blog.
Swiggy also gives its delivery partners the option to refuse deliveries if they feel that an area is unsafe. SOS service is also available on the Swiggy app which immediately connects the delivery partner to a Swiggy helpline, local police, or an ambulance in the event of a medical emergency.
Last year, rival company Zomato announced a period leave policy, allowing female employees to take up to 10 period leaves in a year. These are available to employees and not the gig workforce.
