Security services, cash handling and facilities management firm SIS Group Enterprises, employing over 2.3 lakh people, has said it has provided financial assistance to over 4,600 staff impacted by COVID-19 through a unique fund.
“Soon after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus last year, we had set up a ₹10 crore ‘Hamare Heroes Welfare Fund’ to provide financial assistance to employees who could be impacted by the pandemic,” Rituraj Sinha, group managing director, SIS Ltd., said.
This initiative was started to provide a safety net to the employees who are working while risking their lives to help others, he said. “We have assisted over 4,600 to 5,000 employees so far. In case of fatality, the fund is used to compensate the families,” Mr. Sinha said.
Affected employees get about ₹10,000 as financial assistance.
Unlike other large employers whose well-paid staff can work from home, SIS being an essential services provider has no such luxury. Since its employees are deployed at hospitals, pathological laboratories, quarantine centres, private and government institutions, and other high-risk zones, protecting them and motivating such people earning ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 per month has been a challenge.
SIS said it had completed vaccinations (at least one dose) of over one lakh employees across 21 States in India.
The company has also set up a helpline for its employees where they can call and talk to senior staff about their worries, problems, and concerns that they may have.
“Since the employees have been working continuously for the last 13 months, their physical and mental health is the most important thing for the group,” Mr. Singh said.
“While every citizen is fighting the virus, SIS staff at the frontline are ensuring that necessary steps are taken to contain the spread,” he said.
In 20 major cities, the company has converted its vehicles into ambulances with oxygen cylinders and basic amenities which could be deployed to rush employees or customers to a hospital in case of emergency.
It is training its employees using its M-Trainer platform via smartphones as to how to detect low oxygen levels in patients and how to organise basic support in case somebody needs it in an emergency.
Currently, the company is providing service to over 400 healthcare facilities with security, hygiene, sanitisation, and frontline staff, through this pandemic, in addition to serving 15,000 customer sites spread over 670 districts in India.
