Reliance Retail Business Adds over 1,50,000 Employees

As COVID-19 disrupted livelihoods, Reliance Industries ensured that not only did it protect livelihoods of its existing workforce but also generated new jobs opportunities for the members of the society. 
•    The retail business was the leading job creation vertical hiring over 150000 employees across various functions of the business; this is more than 2x the jobs created in the previous financial year.
•    With the addition of over 150000 employees during the 2021-22 financial year the business increased its workforce by more than 70% as compared to the previous year taking its total staff strength to over 361000 employees (both off roll and on roll). In March 2021 the employee strength of Reliance’s retail business was at 208000.

Speaking on the financial performance of Reliance Retail, Gaurav Jain, Head – Strategy & Business Development, Reliance Retail said, “One of the ethos of Reliance Retail is all about inclusive growth and the cornerstone of inclusive growth is about jobs and reskilling of people. It has been an unprecedented period with 150,000 new jobs being added.”

•    In line with the rapid expansion, a high proportion of these jobs (over two-thirds of the jobs) will be in the non-metros, the tier 2 / 3 towns and beyond where the business is rapidly expanding its physical store network as well as digital and new commerce platforms. The livelihood opportunities in small towns bring a big relief for job seekers as they continue to reside in their hometowns. This mitigates the troubles and challenges of migration and displacement for the workforce in small towns.
•    Store level and direct store / field operations are absorbing most (90%) of the new workforce – indicating that the business has been able to create better, aspirational and more productive job opportunities for the young and the semi-skilled and not-so-skilled workforce of the country.
 
Reliance Retail continued focus on the safety and wellbeing of employees and their families during COVID with the below initiatives that were announced in the past:
•    While protecting and generating livelihoods, the company continued its focus on the safety and wellbeing of employees and their families during COVID. The safety and health of people was top priority and the company undertook several initiatives as follows to uphold this principle and safeguard members of the team and their families:

1.    Safe Work Environment:
•    Periodic RTPCR conducted for employees who were required to come to stores 
•    Frequent sanitization of all contact points in stores, DC & FCs.
•    Customers wearing masks were only allowed entry
•    UV cleaning for all tried-on garments in stores
•    Sanitize devices used for home delivery
•    Segregated Inbound and Outbound areas in DC/FCs to avoid contact between employees
•    Attendance marking using People First app to eliminate touch based Biometric attendance
•    Frontline staff provided with PPE & administered Immunity boosting medicines
 
2.    Employee Personal Safety:
•    COVID-19 Symptom Checker survey for self and family 
•    Thermal scanning with Infrared thermometer
•    Mandatory face mask, hand gloves & face shields; Poly-taffeta fabric jacket/PPE Suit as per role requirement
•    Hourly announcement for washing hands
•    Communication on Store Hygiene displayed prominently
•    Education & Awareness sessions through Regional Doctors & In-house experts
•    Regional Radio Communications on Personal Safety & Hygiene
•    Employees and family members encouraged to get vaccinated during HR Sampark Calls
•    Regular communication made through R Swasthya and RR People Connect emails to create awareness on Vaccination

•    Attaching the highest importance to Employee Care and standing with all colleagues in their hour of grief during the pandemic

3.  Reliance also announced the Reliance Family Support and Welfare Scheme as follows:
o    Reliance will continue to provide the last drawn monthly salary to the nominee for 5 years.
o    Reliance will provide 100% payment of tuition fee, hostel accommodation, and book fee up to bachelor’s degree at any institute in India, for all children.
o    Reliance will bear 100% payment of premium for hospitalization coverage for spouse, parents, and children (till the bachelor’s degree of the children).
•    To all bereaving families of any off-roll workforce member working for the group, who has succumbed to COVID-19, Reliance extended a lumpsum payment of Rs. 10 lakhs directly to the nominee of the deceased to support and care for the grieving family.

Also Read: Business Inflation Expectations Survey (BIES) – March 2022