BEING REALISTIC

The century-old Hindustan Unilever’s (HUL) people policies have over the years become industry standards. Not only does the company take pride in giving India Inc its best leaders, its various employee-friendly policies have made the FMCG major one of the best Indian companies to work for. HUL has pledged ₹100 crore to help India fight the pandemic. From donating two crore cakes of Lifebuoy soap and handwash to setting up isolation beds and working with municipal corporations across the country, the company is leaving no stone unturned to fight the pandemic. Anuradha Razdan, Executive Director (Human Resources), HUL, says that though its 18,000-strong workforce has expressed pride in being part of a company that cares for the society, in an uncertain environment like this, pay-cuts are there in everybody’s mind.

With over 70 per cent of HUL’s revenue coming from the sale of essentials, a major disruption in its business is unlikely. But business disruptions caused by the outbreak across the country and sectors such as aviation and hospitality announcing large-scale pay-cuts and job losses, have created an environment of uncertainty among employees everywhere. A recent CMIE report says that as of last week of March, the rate of unemployment in India is 23.8 per cent, with urban unemployment at a staggering 30.9 per