Building a better world for micro-entrepreneurs!
Supporting micro-entrepreneurs while ensuring security & safety
Rabiya Begum worked as a masseuse in Hyderabad. A one-woman team, her services were popular. Whenever a child was born in her neighbourhood, Rabiya would get a call that the mother and the baby needed her massage services. Rabiya was talented enough, so in the five years that she worked as an independent masseuse, she was never out of jobs. But her work fell squarely in the unorganised sector. She didn’t have control over her income and the dignity of labour was non-existent. When Rabiya joined Urban Company things changed. For the first time ever, she realised she was overworked and underpaid.
“I did massages because of my love for children. But you know what it is like in these jobs. People pay whatever is possible and there is no real respect. I can see the stark difference today,” she says.
Now a UC spa professional, Rabiya values the importance of being in a place that values her and treats her fairly. Her family also doesn’t have to worry about her safety. The UC partner app has an emergency SOS button. Her family knows that if Rabiya ever gets stuck in an unsafe situation, she can hit it and help will reach her immediately.
Raju Yadav, a cleaning professional with Urban Company in Delhi shares a similar experience. Apart from the fact that the job helps him earn a decent living, Raju is visibly delighted about the way he is treated.
“The customers first offer me tea and biscuits before I start the work. I have never felt so appreciated,” he says.
Having a stable source of income is crucial, but workplace conditions are the primary motivators for people. Workers, especially gig workers, keep coming back for more work when they feel respected. Hence it is imperative to create and focus on the safety and welfare of individuals like Rabiya and Raju and all other micro-entrepreneurs out there who constitute the gig economy.
Safety comes first
While we at Urban Company want to offer the best professional home services across the country, it cannot be done at the cost of the health and well-being of our partners.
We always advise customers to book service orders in advance so that our partners don’t have to rush to complete these requests. Even in case of any delays, we don’t penalise the partners, instead recommend virtual retraining. In case of emergencies such as accidents, our group accident insurance cover kicks in.
The Group Personal Accident Insurance covers every active partner on our platform and provides up to Rs 6 lakh insurance cover for death, disability, or accidental hospitalisation. Here, an active partner is someone who has taken at least one job via UC in the last 30 days. Either the partner or their next of kin can claim the insurance amount through the dedicated helpline or the mobile application.
Reinforcing dignity at work
India’s unorganised sector has a few roadblocks that need to be overcome. Starting with the lack of dignity of labour and the infrastructure facilities for the gig workers.
At Urban Company, we have introduced customer ratings on the homepage and the profile section on the partner app. Just the way you rate the professionals on a scale of 1 to 5, they also rate you.
We are also nudging customers through our app to offer water and washroom access to build a fair workplace environment. For serious issues related to inappropriate/abusive behaviour, there is a zero-tolerance policy followed. UC Partners can register complaints using their mobile application for swift action.
Making Solopreneurs benefit from the growth journey
At Urban Company, we have also announced an industry-first Partner Stock Ownership Plan (PSOP) for our partners. Under this plan, we will award stocks worth INR 150 Cr. to thousands of partners over the next 5–7 years. An evergreen trust will be set up to manage the PSOP plan, and award them at near zero cost to partners. We have already got board approval for the first tranche of INR 75 Cr. worth of stocks, to be disbursed over the next 3–4 years.
Flexible timings, financial assistance and insurance are essential steps in removing apprehensions and ensuring stability. As a member of the gig economy, it is our goal to make every worker feel respected and recognised.
After all, we are all in it together to build a better working world.
