Urban Company launches policy to support service partners facing abuse

Urban Company, an on-demand home services firm, on Tuesday said it had introduced a policy against gender-based violence for its service professionals. This policy, it said, would provide support and awareness to the service professionals who have or are currently facing domestic violence and abuse.

The company rolled out the policy under Project Nidar in partnership with Invisibles Scars Foundation, an NGO that supports survivors of gender-based violence and raises awareness about domestic abuse. The aim is to provide counselling, legal assistance and emergency lodging support.

The company said it would provide medical support beyond the existing Rs 1 lakh insurance cover, and financial aid of up to Rs 50,000 to service partners seeking help. This policy would be applicable to all active service partners on the Urban Company platform in India.

‘Women comprise about 35 per cent of our partner fleet, which makes ‘Project Nidar’ even more critical,” said Abhiraj Singh Bhal, CEO and co-founder, Urban Company. He added that the policy had been crafted with the help of gender experts to not only provide tangible medical and financial support but also raise awareness about domestic violence and abuse.

The company said it would also release a series of videos to raise awareness about domestic violence and abuse, and how its service professionals can report it.