GODREJ CONSUMER PRODUCTS INSURES WORKFORCE OF MORE THAN 4000 PERSONNEL AGAINST COVID-19     

Chandigarh: Continuing its efforts to empower stakeholders against COVID-19, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd, a leading emergent markets company, has insured over 4000 extended workforce part of the supply and distribution chain in India. The medical insurance covers personnel on channel partners’ payrolls or contracted by them to ensure smooth business operations for GCPL. For medical hospitalization or treatment of COVID-19, each employee is entitled to cashless treatment or reimbursement of medical expenses up to INR 50,000.
 
This is a pioneering industry-first initiative taken by a corporate to cover such a large number of personnel. The medical insurance under Digit Illness Group Insurance Policy is provided by Go Digit General Insurance, a new age general insurance company with a mission to make insurance simple. The 4000+ personnel base who are covered under medical insurance are contract labours, delivery teams, carrying and forwarding agents, loaders and unloaders, and logistic teams including drivers. This is in addition to 2675 permanent employees of GCPL who already have medical benefits.
 
Commenting on this major step taken by the company, Sunil Kataria, CEO – India & SAARC, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd, said, “COVID-19 has posed great threat to public health in India.  Be it permanent, contracted or third-party, GCPL has commitment towards all its extended workforce. We value their efforts, and their safety is of prime importance to us. Therefore, we have undertaken this initiative to insure the workforce of over 4000 personnel who are the backbone of our supply and distribution chain. We have established a comprehensive health and safety monitoring system in all our operating locations. Through a culture of proactive and preventive behaviour, we will continuously review our policy to keep them in line with current requirements and needs of our workforce.”
 
Jasleen Kohli, Chief Distribution Officer, Digit Insurance, said, “Our mission at Digit is to simplify insurance & to create products that people really need. Given, the current global situation, offering a cover for COVID-19 was the need of the hour and we are glad that Godrej shares this vision with us for their employees. The product covers not just hospitalization expenses including ICU Rent & Room Rent but also Pre/Post Hospitalization & Ambulance Charges for a positively tested COVID-19 patient. The idea is to handle these unpredictable times in the best way possible, through simplified insurance as an instrument. Also, our entire claims process is ‘Zero-touch’, which is required at this time, as we accept audio claims instead of claim forms, soft-copies instead of hard-copies for proofs and have a 24*7 customer care assistance, again completely online.”
 
Godrej Consumer Products has always been committed to maintain both lives and livelihoods. As its manufacturing units are functioning, the company has ensured that employees are following hygiene and adequate social distancing practices. Factory personnel are given face masks along with provisions of sanitisers, staggered shifts, access control and thermal screening.
 
GCPL has set up a daily COVID-19 allowance for all its factory and contract employees. A one-month food package containing essential products like rice, flour, pulses, oil, salt, among other items, is also given to them. GCPL has ensured no deduction in wages of contract workers and is closely working with contractors to ensure this policy is followed as a protocol.