While social norms, traffic and safety challenges remain for women working night shifts, e-commerce and delivery companies are taking steps to create a more conducive work environment.
E-commerce company hiring women for night shift (Image source: Getty Images)
India's leading e-commerce and delivery companies, including Flipkart, Zomato and Amazon, are taking the lead in hiring women for night shifts, with the aim of increasing the diversity of their blue-collar workforce, according to an ET report.
Flipkart and Amazon’s commitment to hiring women
Since September 2023, Flipkart is actively recruiting women for its fulfillment and sortation centers in Haryana. Similarly, Amazon India has launched the Women Working Night Shift (WINS) initiative at one of its sorting centers in Haryana. Both companies also employ women on night shifts in other states. According to the report, Flipkart has nearly 30% women in its supply chain, including in last-mile delivery roles.
Increasing Women's success
These companies, along with companies like Zomato, are striving to increase the number of women in the blue-collar workforce. According to estimates by CIEL HR Services, women currently make up approximately 10% of the total workforce of e-commerce companies. However, this figure is expected to increase by 25% in 2024, ET reports.
Challenges in female employment
While social norms, traffic and safety challenges remain for women working night shifts, e-commerce and delivery companies are taking steps to create a more conducive work environment. These include comprehensive training programs in road safety, fire safety, self-defense, prevention of sexual harassment (POSH) and gender awareness. It also provides safe transportation, the necessary physical infrastructure, facilities such as night canteens, and constant monitoring by CCTV cameras.
Women's participation in the gig economy
In the gig economy, dominated by e-commerce and logistics sectors, employment for women surged by more than 40 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, ET quoted sources as saying.
