In a bid to protect its employees and customers from the raging COVID pandemic in the country, hotel booking site OYO has joined the new revolution, and announced that it will now be offering employees four-work day weeks. This is just one of a number of programmers it has launched, keeping employee health in mind.
The news was revealed by Founder and CEO Ritesh Agarwal, in a series of tweets from his personal account.
1/ COVID continues to test our physical + mental well-being. One thing that truly matters is having more time for our loved ones and ourselves. Inspired by startups & large companies alike, we began a few initiatives this week at OYO …🧵
— Ritesh Agarwal (@riteshagar) May 12, 2021
He announced that the company will allow its partners to have Wednesdays off, to let them get rested up and maintain their health. Paid leaves will also be provided on an infinite basis, and that too, with no questions asked.
Agarwal’s tweet read, “Starting today we are moving to a 4 day work week but implementing it slightly differently, making Wednesdays off to let OYOpreneurs have a mid-week breather. We also launched a No Questions Asked Flexible Infinite Paid Leaves.”
The leaves will be allowed as and when the employees need them, with no reasons being required. The only thing that is asked of employees is that they inform their managers when taking leaves. The company added that they are not going to stress about business impact and deadlines.” He further added that they believe work will not take a hit, but will instead make employees more productive.
In fact, Agarwal himself took Wednesday, 12th May, off, to “spend time with his family”, and revealed that he will also be volunteering for OYO COVID War Room. He also said that he would be getting in touch with his colleagues and friends who have been impacted by the pandemic. He tweeted, “I hope & pray that we all emerge out of this crisis sooner. Until then we must all have each other’s back & tide over this crisis together. Stay safe.”
OYO is not the first company to launch a series of programmes to ensure that its employees remain in the best of health, both physically and mentally, during the pandemic. Just last month, food deliver startup Swiggy had announced four day work weeks for its employees and partners, and had given them the option to choose which days they would like to work on. It had also announced that it will be helping its employees, partners, and their families, get registered for being vaccinated against the COVID.
Fashion app Myntra too, had announced back in February, that it will be giving all its employees “Limitless Wellness Leaves”, that is, paid leaves for as long as the employees needed, as and when required. In fact, it had also granted its employees up to 14 days of Care Leaves, should they ever have to take care of their children or other relatives, in case of any disease or sickness.
