Sweltering heat is causing a major shortage of delivery boys and that is becoming a major concern for small businesses, ecommerce companies and food delivery companies.
With rising mercury levels, there is usually a drop in the supply of field workers by almost a fifth, according to estimates. This year the summer has worsened the situation according to online commerce industry executives. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had flagged extreme heat conditions between April-June. According to the latest report of the of the Indian Met Department, the summer is likely to be very harsh this year with temperatures above normal.
A company that is experiencing shortage of field boys is Community Samvada. Community Samvada which is a hyperlocal magazine is dependent on field boys for door-to-door distribution.
The founder and CEO, Veenod Agarwal said that the shortage of delivery boys was there throughout the year, but with changing seasons and conditions like heat waves or farming cycles, the issue gets worst for a certain period of time. These extreme weather conditions will continue to drive unpredictability and increase absenteeism among these workers. During this particular period there are also weddings in the villages. There is no way to stop them.
How important are the field boys to the company? The field boys are very important to the company, if the distribution of magazine don’t happen the business cycle will be disrupted. They are very important for day-to-day work.
The problem usually starts in May and lasts till the end of summer. In this case we try to locate some part-timers and we try to readjust the work and when they come back they double up on work and cover the loss. We employ extra staff, about 25% more. The season is like that and more people fall sick. Those that are working on the field we try to give them energy cold drinks like chach and fruits drinks to keep them hydrated and also caps to save them from the scorching sun.
What are other companies doing to help this trend?
Timelines and climate
One worry that all companies have at this time is about the delivery timelines. Says Veenod Agarwal, no doubt, it’s a huge problem, and there is no way that one can stop these workers from going to their villages. However, the best way the delivery timelines are not affected is by creating a backup of the delivery boys.
Today there are many companies that also help with on boarding and tracking the gig workers. They can help firms with supplementing a company’s requirement.
However, companies are also taking steps to help their delivery boys deal with the heat.
Bigger companies like Swiggy have set up 300 zones in high demand areas where the delivery executives can rest in shade and have access to drinks.
A Zomato spokesperson said the Gurgaon-based company has set up 450 resting points in over 250 cities and plans to increase the number to more than 4,000 by June.
Other things companies are doing?
Like Community Samvada, many ecommerce companies are offering their delivery executives with juices, refeshments, glucose and even breathable clothings.
Zomato, for instance is stepping up its Shelter Project under which it plans to increase its rest points from 450 to 5,000, while flipkart is planning flexibility in its delivery schedules. Big and small companies are thinking of innovative ways of keeping their field staff safe from scorching heat.
