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The programme will encompass existing and new welfare and engagement initiatives covering five core areas: safety, wellbeing, personal development, community and welfare perks.
This story was updated on 13 June 2024 with further updates on the programme's run in Malaysia.
Delivery platform foodpanda announced today (Thursday, 6 June 2024) ‘panda cares’, its flagship programme aimed at uplifting and supporting delivery partners in five core areas: safety, wellbeing, personal development, community and welfare perks.
The programme will encompass existing and new welfare and engagement initiatives across all 11 markets in Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. These include:
- Wellbeing: Focuses on safeguarding delivery partners’ wellbeing through health screenings, mental health assistance programmes, insurance, exercise and sporting events.
- Safety: Encompasses initiatives that encourage delivery partners to prioritise their safety on the road. This includes making features on the foodpanda delivery partner application easy to navigate on-the-go, providing safety training courses, and offering safety bonuses and allowances.
- Personal development: Provides delivery partners with a range of opportunities for growth, including upskilling courses, financial literacy workshops, bursaries, scholarships, and entrepreneurship opportunities. These help to support the aspirations of foodpanda’s delivery partners, beyond day-to-day delivery tasks.
- Community: Aims to build a dependable support system, where delivery riders can easily access in-app communication channels, such as roving roadshows or focus groups, to share feedback. During severe weather conditions, delivery partners can also turn to physical rider hubs for onsite support and resources.
- Welfare perks: Offers delivery partners a wide range of additional benefits to help alleviate the cost of living, for instance: fuel subsidies, supermarket vouchers, discounts on motorbike rental or mobile network plans.
Bhavani Shankar Mishra, Senior Director of Operations, foodpanda, commented: "We recognise that gig work is here to stay, and our responsibility as a company is to ensure that our delivery partners thrive in their roles. We want them to feel valued, supported and empowered so they feel good about partnering with us.
"To do this meaningfully, we regularly engage with them to understand what matters most to them, and learn how we can improve what we’re currently doing to provide the necessary resources and support."
In Malaysia, it was shared in an update on 13 June that through the programme, foodpanda will enhance its existing collaborations with PolicyStreet and CIMB Islamic to offer more financial security, health support, and growth prospects, aiming to ensure delivery partners and their families are well cared for and empowered.
The company will also look to work closely with government bodies including the Social Security Organization, Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research, and the Royal Malaysia Police to advocate road safety.
Emphasising safety and wellness
Recognising the importance of safe road conditions in ensuring the wellbeing of delivery partners, foodpanda noted that it also has in place measures to improve road safety awareness. Initiatives such as road safety training has equipped its partners with the resources, knowledge and skills needed to navigate roads safely and mitigate potential risks - resulting in a decline of over 50% in accident rates over the last six months.
Through ‘panda cares’, foodpanda will look to expand on these efforts to further empower its delivery partners in operating safely and confidently on the roads, ultimately contributing to a safer working environment for all.
Beyond safety-focused initiatives, foodpanda is expanding efforts to strengthen other aspects outlined under ‘panda cares’:
- Under personal development: Bursary awards for delivery partners in Singapore, and scholarship programmes for children of delivery partners in Laos and Cambodia.
- Under welfare perks: Subsidising the rental of electric vehicles in Thailand.
- Under safety: Panda Rangers, where delivery partners in Malaysia will be trained to provide basic emergency medical assistance to those in need.
- Under wellbeing: Working closely with the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF, or KWSP) to create a seamless system that enables delivery partners to contribute to their retirement fund.
Bhavani concluded: "Delivery partners are the heartbeat of our platform, tirelessly connecting communities with essential services. As their significance grows, so does our responsibility to enhance their wellbeing. It’s important that we continually step up to prioritise the care and support of our frontline heroes."
Lead image / foodpanda
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