Dignity Begins at Home
Reshaping India’s access to blue-collar services.
A limited ‘glass-cabin’ view of workplaces has, unfortunately, excluded the environment millions of ‘blue collar’ professionals work in every day — our homes. And thus the mutual respect, irrespective of the stature or nature of work, that forms the bedrock of dignity at the workplace, hasn’t permeated these glass borders.
Over the last 10 years, Urban Company has been instrumental in reshaping India’s access to blue-collared services. In order to create a mutually beneficial platform for its two constituents, customers and service professionals, dignity of labour is a platform precondition for a sustainable business that ensures consistent year-on-year earnings growth for our partners, safety nets in the form of insurance and medical cover.
Over 57,000 Urban Company Professionals have benefitted from skill training programs and accreditations, climbing the ladder to upward social mobility. With this work, our intent is to create the conditions for social progress for our blue-collared partners and nudge society to see them the way we do — as professionals. And with that intent we’ve made progress in partner earnings, partner welfare and their social mobility.
Here are the headlines on our actions so far:
Creating Fair Working Opportunities
35,000+ partners were trained in NSDC-certified vocational skills to promote sustainable economic integration and livelihood opportunities 2.
Creating Fair Earning Opportunities
On average, UC professionals earn 2.5 times the Hourly Living Wage, with the top 20% earning over INR 42,000/month (higher than the average engineering graduate) 3.
Bridging the Gender Wage Gap
Women partners earn 23% more per hour than men. 4.
Promoting Fair Working Conditions
All Urban Company partners are covered under a Group Life and Accidental Insurance cover, along with enhanced family cover for our UC Plus professionals. Insurance claims worth INR 6.29 Crore have been disbursed to 1,800+ partners in CY23. 5.
Providing Financial Stability/Support
All eligible Urban Company partners have access to credit facilities to support any unplanned expenses. Supported 29,700 partners with over INR 38.90 Crores in credit facilities in FY24.
Increased Earnings
Urban Company professionals experience financial growth year on year, with average hourly earnings being 2.5 times the Hourly Living Wage as reported by the Fairwork Foundation. The top 20% of our partners earn over INR 42,000 per month, surpassing the average income of an engineering graduate in India of INR 25,000 per month.
Safety and Partner Welfare
Ensuring the safety and well-being of our service partners is paramount. Urban Company is certified by the Fairwork Foundation for providing safe working conditions and a robust safety net. Our Urban Company Plus service partners receive an insurance cover of INR 2,00,000. This comprehensive policy includes family medical insurance for the spouse and two children, along with up to 12 free medical consultations per year. Additionally, all partners benefit from Group Life and Accidental Insurance cover. For those without an Urban Company Plus subscription, the health insurance cover is INR 1,00,000, which includes up to 12 free medical consultations per year. In FY24 alone, we have supported 1,800 service partners with a total insurance cover of INR 6.29 Crore. Over our lifetime, we have supported more than 3,500 service partners with a total cover of INR 9.8 Crores disbursed through claims.
Holistic Well-being Initiatives
Our commitment to partner welfare goes beyond financial safety. Urban Company conducts regular well-being workshops, provides medical emergency and bereavement support, and offers emergency ambulance services to ensure our partners are supported in all aspects of their lives.
Financial Safety with Access to Credit Facilities
Understanding the importance of financial stability, Urban Company provides access to credit facilities for its service partners. In FY24, we supported 29,700 service partners with credit facilities amounting to INR 38.90 Crore. Since our inception, we have supported approximately 63,000 service partners with a total of INR 81.91 Crore in credit facilities. These measures ensure that our partners have the financial backing they need to manage personal and professional expenses, thus fostering a sense of security and stability. Urban Company is committed to building a platform that enables upwards social mobility through fair earnings, comprehensive safety measures, and financial support for our service partners. For more details on our actions, insights and the source data, please refer to our ESG report.
Biases against blue-collar work are seldom verbalised — it is complex, rooted in class-based ‘othering’ and passed down generations. Therefore the only way to break these intergenerational cycles of bias, is to pause, recognise and question them. There is more to do, and we will continue to hold our feet to the fire to get there.
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