Unilever introduces employee protection plan amid Coronavirus outbreak

Unilever Plc announced on March 24 that it would protect its workforce from the negative impact of the Coronavirus. According to reports, the consumer goods giant will continue to pay contractors and other part-time staff for up to three months. The company said that its payment protection plan would extend to all employees, contractors and others who are managed by the company or who work on its sites on a full or part-time basis.

Employee relief measures

According to reports, the makers of products like Dove and Knorr soup has unveiled a 500 million euro ($543.25 million) relief program. The relief program is aimed at helping the company’s most vulnerable small- and medium-sized suppliers as well as provide credit to select small-scale retailers.

The move by Unilever comes as other corporations are also introducing relief measures for their employees that are suffering from the economic impact of the coronavirus.

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JM Smucker has said that it would be paying its manufacturing and distribution workers, which number in the thousands, a one-time bonus of $1,500. Mondelez, the American multinational confectionery, food, holding and beverage company claimed that it would increase hourly wages by $2 and pay its sales representatives a $125 weekly bonus to help meet the surge in demand for packaged foods.

The Angle-Dutch company is also using a part of its production line to produce sanitiser for use in hospitals, schools and other institutional settings. As per reports, similar steps have been taken by consumer product companies Beiersdorf and French luxury goods maker LVMH PA.

Home-made sanitisers

Tito’s Handmade Vodka is the latest company in the US to announce that it will be using its distillery as a production facility for hand sanitisers. As the world is fighting against the spread of Coronavirus, hand sanitisers availability has been heavily affected as it remains a high-priority requirement in both, health facilities and homes.

In the wake of the current situation, the company said that it has enough supplies to make 24 tons of hand sanitizer over the next couple of weeks and it further plans to make more ‘as needed’. 

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