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Sony Research India Rolls Out A Covid Wellness Package For Its Members And Their Families To Support Them During The Pandemic

By Saumya Borwankar, Jyothi Libereta, Aman Shenoy Research Consultant at Sony Research India

22nd Spetember 2021

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it has taken a toll on people in terms of mental health, job insecurity, unemployment, education and economic instability that has created a lingering feeling of uncertainty. We believe that supporting our employees and their families is crucial. In order to do so, Sony Research India announced a ‘Covid Wellness Package’ for our permanent employees, contractual staff as well as interns. The benefits include:
    • Reimbursements for purchasing basic COVID home-care equipment, such as pulse oximeter, UV Disinfection, Alpha bed lamps, face shields and infrared thermometers, among others.
    • Reimbursement towards vaccination costs for them and their immediate family members.
    • Additional 21 days of paid leave for them, and 14 days in case of their immediate family members contracting the COVID-19 virus.
    • Top-up Insurance in addition to Group Insurance.
    • Reimbursement for online consultation with a doctor for them and their immediate family members.
    • Relief fund, in case of loss of an employee/contractual staff or intern or their family members.
We asked three members of the Sony Research India family — Saumya Borwankar (Research Consultant), Jyothi Libereta (Group Secretary), and Aman Shenoy (Research Consultant) — about their thoughts on the COVID Wellness Package. Their responses highlight how the policy has personally benefited them and has positively impacted their overall work experience and attitude towards the employer.

Saumya Borwankar , Research Consultant, Sony Research India

Jyothi Libereta, Group Secretary, Sony Research India

Aman Shenoy, Research Consultant, Sony Research India

What are your thoughts on the Covid Wellness Package?
Saumya: “The COVID-19 pandemic affected people everywhere, leaving them feeling alone to deal with the implications, both financially and mentally. In such a scenario, when your company steps in and tries to help you by any means, it makes a huge difference. Sony Research India was kind enough to help us with financial aid and reduce the workload. Mondays and Fridays were granted to us as additional leaves for one whole month. The gesture made by Sony Research India to go out of their way for employee welfare means a lot.”
Jyothi: “The Covid Wellness Package offered to both the permanent employees and the contractual staff is employee-friendly and meets all the requirements during these testing times. It makes me feel included in Sony Research India’s family.”
Aman: “I think the Covid Wellness package is a brilliant initiative by Sony Research India in these trying times.”

How did the policy personally benefit you?

Saumya: “The Covid wellness package covered a range of benefits, such as oxygen cylinders, medical expenses, and insurance. It also allowed us to get reimbursed for medical gadgets, like oximeters and glucometers, which helped my family & I keep a better track of our vitals.”
Jyothi: “The Covid Wellness Benefits Package has been very helpful in taking better care of mine and my family’s medical needs. The package covers a range of benefits, right from compensation for medication and face masks to consultation with a doctor and medical insurance. My husband and I personally benefited from the vaccination drive, which was very well-organized.”
Aman: “I have been lucky enough that my family and I have avoided infection and health complications in the past few months. Nonetheless, just knowing that I have the full support of Sony Research India is very comforting.”
How do policies like this positively impact your work experience and attitude towards your employer?
Saumya: “When your employer comes forward during a crisis like this and offers any kind of help, it always boosts your morale and makes you grateful for working at such a company. This feeling eventually results in better work performance. Sony Research India was kind enough to let us work from home at our convenience, so personally I never faced an issue, which has ultimately been reflected in my work.”
Jyothi: “The ‘no work day’ policy incorporated at Sony Research India assured me that the company cared for my wellbeing and it allowed me to strike a balance between work and personal life. I could take a break and remain positive in spite of the negative news and increasing Covid death rates across the country and the world. My manager Simon San, though from a different country made an effort to understand how the pandemic had affected Bangalore, the epicentre of the second wave outbreak in India. He recommended suitable and generous benefits to all the employees, including the non- permanent staff. I am thankful to Sony Research India.”
Aman: “I strongly feel that policies like these impact your work experience in a very implicit manner. There is a sense of comfort you naturally feel, knowing your employer would help you in times of crisis and also knowing that they have your health, well-being and best interest in mind.”
Besides offering compensation for those directly affected by the pandemic, Sony Research India encouraged its employees and their families to get vaccinated by organising a free vaccination drive at the head office at Bengaluru, thereby easing the worries of the families who may have had apprehensions about entering crowded hospitals or vaccination centres. According to Jyothi, “The vaccination drive was a great initiative and very well organised. I felt it was safe for us to take the vaccine in an organized manner and avoid going to hospitals that may have large crowds.”
The Covid Vaccination Drive at Sony Research India Head Office, Bengaluru.
We hope the support and help extended to the members of Sony Research India family has proved beneficial for them. We will continue to do so in the future.
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