E-commerce cos look to hire more women in night shifts

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In a bid to boost workplace diversity, major e-commerce companies like Flipkart, Amazon and Zomato are looking to hire more women employees for night shifts. At present, the total participation of women across e-commerce companies stands at a paltry 10%, as per industry estimates. But in an encouraging trend, the total women workforce in this industry is set to touch 25% by the end of 2024. 

Some green shoots can already be seen in this regard. As compared to 2022, there was a 40% jump in the hiring for women in the gig economy last year. Notably, gig economies are dominated by e-commerce companies, who are ramping up their number of female employees. Going by estimates of recruitment company TeamLease, the e-commerce and logistics industry can potentially employ up to 5,00,000 people, excluding riders. 

However, women are already making their presence felt when it comes to facilitating last-mile connectivity. As per media reports, Flipkart already has about 30% women in its overall supply chain, which also includes last-mile connectivity roles. Per the company, 800 women are already working in night shifts across various Flipkart fulfillment and sortation centers in Haryana, a practice initiated by the company in September 2023. Similarly, Zomato already has around 2,000 female delivery partners.

Amazon, which recently began its WINs (Women in Night Shifts) initiative, has established all women delivery stations in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. 

However, as Zomato noted, most female riders preferred to log-in during the day. This calls for stringent measures to be put in place, which include sessions on gender sensitization and prevention of sexual harassment (POSH). Additionally, safe transport, night canteens and constant CCTV monitoring are also being implemented to ensure greater safety levels for women who are working night shifts. 

Not just that, the steep, existing pay disparities also need to be addressed. As per a 2023 TeamLease report, an 8-10% pay disparity observed between male and female delivery executives, which could translate into a difference of anywhere between Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000/month.