Gojek top execs to donate 25% of annual salary to drivers amid Covid-19 crisis

Indonesian unicorn Gojek has created a US$6 million fund to support all drivers, merchants, and other partners across the region whose income has been affected amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Gojek Partner Support Fund has three sources. Gojek co-CEOs and senior management will donate 25% of their annual salary over the next 12 months, while the company’s annual salary increase budget will be redirected to the fund. Corporate partners will also donate, according to a statement.

Photo credit: Afif Kusuma / Unsplash

“At Gojek, the pandemic has prompted us to work from home, forced us to conduct business differently, and disrupted our regular working rhythm,” Gojek co-CEOs Andre Soelistyo and Kevin Aluwi said. “But our problems pale in comparison to the hardships the coronavirus is likely to place on our driver partners, whose livelihoods depend on an economy that is experiencing a significant slowdown.”

The company said the fund intends to support the families of Gojek drivers and merchants as they wait for the situation to improve. It will be carried out through a new foundation called the Anak Bangsa Bisa Foundation, which would work with governments, civil society groups, and driver associations.

Gojek said it currently has over 2 million drivers and operates across 207 cities in five Southeast Asian countries.

Apart from the fund, Gojek also recently formed a partnership with Halodoc, an Indonesian healthtech startup, to launch a free online medical consultation service called Check Covid-19. Through the service, people experiencing potential Covid-19 symptoms can instantly get medical advice from a doctor.

Meanwhile, other ride-hailing companies are also implementing measures to support their drivers during this period. Gojek rival Grab set up a Special Relief Fund to support driver partners who are diagnosed, hospitalized, quarantined, or under leave of absence due to Covid-19.

India’s Ola is waiving lease rentals for driver partners who are currently in distress due to the temporary lockdown in the country. Ola and Uber have also suspended their ride-sharing services in India as Covid-19 cases continue to increase in the country.

In the US, Uber launched a global financial assistance plan to support drivers and delivery people who are diagnosed with Covid-19 or placed in quarantine by the authorities.