Highlights
- Due to most blue-collar workers in the construction sector not having experienced a flight journey, RDC Concrete initiated the ‘Meri Pehli Udaan’ program in 2018.
- Employees who have completed one year in the company can participate by updating their name in a Google sheet.
- So far, 413 employees have taken part in this initiative, with a total of 41 participants this year and 18 in the most recent batch.
Celebrating employees’ birthdays and sending flowers on work anniversaries are some common gestures seen in many companies. However, RDC Concrete, a leading RMC (ready mixed concrete) company, goes above and beyond by sponsoring flight travel for its employees through the ‘Meri Pehli Udaan’ initiative.
Permanent employees who have been with the company for at least one year can participate by adding their names to a Google sheet. Since the launch of this program in 2018, 413 people have taken part in it. This year, 41 employees joined, with the latest batch consisting of 18 employees. The travel locations for this year include Mumbai, Goa, and Bhubaneswar.
Dr K S Bhoon, Head – HR, RDC Concrete, shares, “Coming from a remote village, flying was always a distant dream for most people. While I can’t help people in my village due to financial constraints, I thought, ‘Why can’t I do this at a company level?’ Convincing senior management was not difficult as we shared similar thoughts. The only challenge initially was the budget, but now it’s not a problem.”
In 2016, Bhoon joined RDC Concrete and noticed that most of the blue-collar workers in the construction sector had never been on a flight before. He discussed the initiative internally in 2017 and launched it in 2018 when the company achieved a reasonable profit margin. The plan is to continue this initiative in the future.
Bhoon adds, “Initiatives like ‘Meri Pehli Udaan’ provide extrinsic motivation for employees to stay with the company longer. The flying experience will be a lasting memory for them as it’s their first time on a plane. We plan to extend this initiative to contract workers who have lower earning capacity.”
‘Meri Pehla Udaan’ is a one-day flying experience that starts with an early morning flight around 6 to 7 a.m. and a return flight around 8 to 9 p.m. The employees are received by local teams and spend the entire day sightseeing. Food and refreshments are provided by the company.
“We wait until at least five people choose a particular destination before implementing the initiative. Once the target is met, we proceed with the program. Each iteration of the initiative is divided into batches for logistical ease, and the average cost per employee is around Rs 10,000,” Bhoon explains.
KPI metrics linked to CSR initiative
As part of its CSR initiative, RDC Concrete provides infrastructure support to schools near its plants. This includes renovating classrooms, building separate washrooms for girls, and supporting underprivileged children with clean drinking water, shoes, books, and uniforms. Engaging with school children for at least eight days is a mandatory requirement for employees, with a 10% weightage in their KPI metrics. Not participating in this activity can impact their promotions and increments. The engagement activities can include storytelling sessions, painting competitions, and teaching basic math and English. Employees are also required to post pictures on social media.
Employee benefits and policies
RDC Concrete has 750 on-roll employees and 1,054 employees on a contract basis. On-roll employees receive incentives based on company profitability and performance, while contract workers receive an extra month’s salary during Diwali. The HR department has also implemented a session called ‘Bedhadak Bolo,’ where employees can voice their opinions and suggestions. These suggestions are recorded in a Google sheet and shared with employees to show the actions taken.
According to Bhoon, “Even if IT companies have similar initiatives, the construction industry probably doesn’t touch employees’ lives the way we do. Most companies even neglect their contract workers, but we provide medical coverage and monitor their work-life balance through surveys. We offer them 18 days of leave, compared to the standard 12 days at other firms.”
