The list of companies laying off employees due to Covid-19 crisis is just getting bigger with each passing day. Cardekho and Uber have decided to sack 200 employees and 600 employees respectively from their company. Cardekho has also started paycuts for its employees based on their salary.
Pradeep Parameswaran, President, Uber India and South Asia said in a statement, “The impact of Covid-19 and the unpredictable nature of the recovery has left Uber India with no choice but to reduce the size of its workforce…600 people across driver and rider support, as well as other functions, are being impacted.” The layoffs are said to be part of the global job cuts that the company is unfolding in phases.
Cardekho’s spokesperson explained in an email, “We were constrained to look at rightsizing and salary cuts in a few businesses given the period of slow recovery and in some cases permanent change in pattern of consumer spends.” The company has bid adieu to 200 of the 5000 employees and the number is expected to increase more.
Parameswaran feels extremely sorry for the affected employees and is grateful for their services to Uber. The company will provide a minimum of 10 weeks payout, medical insurance for next 6 months, outplacement support, the employees are allowed to keep their laptops and have been given an option to join the Uber Talent Directory. On the other hand, Cardekho will also be assisting its affected employees financially and has planned to set up an intermediary support system to guide staff towards opportunities inside or outside the organization.
The government-imposed lockdown has heavily affected the businesses across the country. Companies from all sectors have laid off employees to survive during the global pandemic. Even well-funded homegrown startups have taken this step in order to keep the functions of the company going. Oyo, Ola, Zomato, Swiggy, Livspace, Sharechat, Snapdeal and many others have fired a good number of their staff.