Ratan Tata-backed Urban Co starts unlimited mental health leave for staff

The firm is also making some of the top psychologists in the country accessible to its employees by partnering with mental wellness platform iWill

Urban Company, a tech-enabled home services company, has started an initiative that would allow employees to take unlimited sick leaves in case they are suffering from any form of mental or physical illness, particularly Covid-19. Urban Company which is backed by investors such as Accel Partners, Ratan Tata and Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy, has introduced ‘mental health leave policy’ ahead of the World Mental Health Day.

In addition to the leave policy, Urban Company is making some of the top psychologists of the country accessible to its employees by partnering with mental wellness platform, iWill. Any employee who wants to avail the service would have to register on iWill, and thereafter, would be connected with a  psychologist. The complete consultation would be paid by the company. 

“These are anxiety-prone and sensitive times. Mental Health is one aspect of human well-being about which people have very little understanding in not only identifying the symptoms but also in helping another person suffering from it,” said Suhail Vadgaokar, director for human resources at Urban Company. “Mental health treatment and psychological consultations continue to be expensive. Therefore through such initiatives, Urban Company is not only trying to foster employee health and but also create an environment where people feel safe to talk about mental health issues.”

The company has already implemented various employee well-being friendly policies in the past six months. This includes optional work-from-home till December 31, five additional privileged leaves have been granted and no internal meetings are scheduled on Wednesdays. A buddy system has been implemented for those living alone in the city; the company follows silence hours and encourages employees to take personal time off from work. 

“We are trying to make a difference in society by creating avenues where mental health challenges can be addressed and resolved,” said Vadgaokar.

Founded in November 2014, Urban Company (formerly UrbanClap) operates in 18 metropolitan cities in India and 4 international cities--Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sydney and Singapore. The firm offers services such as beauty and spa at home, cleaning, plumbing, carpentry, appliance repair and painting through its mobile app and website. It has a service partner network of more than 30,000 hand-picked service professionals.