USED-CAR selling service Carsome has set up a Covid-19 Support Fund for its employees in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore. The US$50,000 fund is sponsored by Carsome with contributions from its management team from their salaries. It will cover Carsome’s 700 employees across Southeast Asia, where financial assistance will be provided to them and their families should an employee contract the virus.
“Covid-19 is unlike any other previous crisis we have seen and has caused major disruptions in businesses, healthcare and the economy. With the support fund, we hope we can help alleviate the stress the crisis has brought to our employees,” said Carsome CEO and co-founder Eric Cheng.
“We would also like to encourage all of our employees to constantly take good care of their personal hygiene and seek medical help should they feel unwell. In the meantime, we are also working to disinfect and clean our inspection centres and offices to ensure the highest safety standard according to the guidelines set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).”
The fund will bear testing costs up to a maximum of US$200 for any employee who wishes to undergo testing for Covid-19 should they exhibit any symptoms or have been in close contact with a Covid-19 patient.
As a form of immediate relief, Carsome will issue a one-off gratuity payment totalling US$1,000 to each infected employee, and undertake additional costs of up to US$$3,000 should an infected employee require further treatment beyond that provided by public hospitals.
In addition, the fund will be used to support employees who are under mandatory stay-home-notice so they can continue to receive their salary in full for up to three months. — April 16, 2020
