Category:

Workplace/Employee Benefits

Uber defends contractors ahead of EU law on gig workers’ rights

The company has been criticized for classifying its drivers as independent contractors rather than employees entitled to rights, such as a minimum wage, paid holidays and rest breaks.Uber has a mixed record in defending its business model. It scored a victory in California in November last year when voters passed a proposition allowing it to treat its drivers as contractors. One of its biggest tests so far will be on Feb. 19 when the UK Supreme Court will rule on workers’ rights.

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Govt finalises rules under 4 labour codes, reform to be a reality soon

Parliament had passed four codes on four broad codes on wages, industrial relations, social security and occupational safety health & working conditions (OSH) which would ultimately rationalise 44 central labour laws.

Labour Secretary Apurva Chandra said, “We have finalised the rules under the four codes which are required to implement the four labour codes. We are ready to notify these rules. The states are doing their work to firm up rules under the four codes.”

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Budget 2021: Social security benefits to be extended to platform and gig workers, says FM

A portal will be set up to collect info on gig and platform workers, building and construction workers, among others, to provide them with benefits like health, credit (easy financing), food, and others, Sitharaman said in her speech. 

She noted that for the first time Code on Social Security Code 2020 has made provision for universalisation of social security for the entire workforce including gig and platform workers. 

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Budget 2021-22: Rs 35,000 cr allocated For COVID-19 vaccination expenditure in FY22

According to the COVID-19 Vaccine Operational Guidelines, the shots will be offered first to an estimated one crore healthcare workers, and around two crore frontline workers, and then to persons above 50 years of age, followed by persons younger than 50 years of age with associated comorbidities based on evolving pandemic situation.

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IT minister to launch ‘Work from Anywhere’ portal, Tejas Virtual Intelligence tool at NICSI event

Prasad would also launch the ‘Work from Anywhere’ portal, a virtual environment that enables employees to ”access routine applications like e-office, calendar, mail, and other departmental applications and communicate across through VC ensuring safety during this pandemic with social distancing and work assurance from anywhere”.

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Infosys, TCS, Cognizant join WEF coalition to tackle workplace racism

”With just 1 per cent of Fortune 500 companies led by Black chief executives, the need to tackle racial under-representation in business is urgent and obvious,” WEF Managing Director Saadia Zahidi said.

The founding members of the coalition also include AP Moller-Maersk, AlixPartners, AstraZeneca, BlackRock, Bloomberg, Boston Consulting Group, Bridgewater Associates, Centene, Cisco, Cognizant, Dentsu International, Deutsche Bank, EY, H&M, Henry Schein, HP and IKEA.

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New online tool can calculate COVID-19 transmission risk in poorly-ventilated places

Scientists agree that the vast majority of Covid-19 cases are spread through indoor transmission, whether via aerosols or droplets.The researchers noted that it only takes a matter of seconds for aerosols to spread over two meters when masks are not worn, implying that physical distancing in the absence of ventilation is not sufficient to provide safety for long exposure times.

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At least five mine workers killed in blast in southern India

Karnataka, home to the tech hub of Bengaluru, has vast mineral deposits and stone quarries, but the safety of mine workers has remained a concern.Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yedyurappa said five people were confirmed dead and three people including the owner of the quarry had been detained and an investigation was ongoing.

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India reports 70 lakh burn injuries annually with 1.4 lakh mortality rate:Harsh Vardhan

“Burn injury is one of the biggest causes of workforce loss and this is an issue of concern for countries like India. The nation reports as many as 70 lakh burn injuries annually with a mortality rate as high as 1.4 lakh per year and an additional 2.4 lakh patients end up with severe deformities. Due to its large population, most of the burn care facilities are overburdened and the state-of-the-art burn care is negligible. There is a dire need for a healthcare facility that can provide high-quality care for a large fraction of the population. The new Burns and Plastic Surgery Block has been conceived with the vision of providing state-of-the-art care in the field of burns management and research at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi.,” Vardhan said at the inauguration ceremony.

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