$4 million welfare: From free annual flu jabs to massages, here's what Grab drivers, delivery riders can enjoy from 2025

Heightened welfare concerns of gig workers, in particular ride-hailing and food delivery riders, were spotlighted in the passing of the Platform Workers Bill last month (Sept 10).

Senior Minister of State for Manpower Dr Koh Poh Koon had expressed concerns for their increased exposure to traffic accidents given the long hours they spend on roads. He stressed a greater need for workplace injury insurance coverage, liken to what corporate staff have in place.

In recognition of this landmark Bill, Grab Singapore's Managing Director, Yee Wee Tang noted: "We felt that it is the right time to upgrade our benefits to ensure that it continues to be relevant and meaningful and complements the legislation."

Revamp of Grab's welfare offerings for its platform workers

On Oct 3, Grab unveiled its GrabBenefits 2.0 - a refresh of its welfare programme for drivers and food delivery riders. It has committed an annual investment of $4 million from Jan 1, 2025.

The upgraded benefits will address platform workers' concerns such as rising medical costs, a move welcomed by Grab driver, 63-year-old Katherine Lim. "I think generally the enhanced benefits are very good for most of us," she remarked, saying she appreciated the General Practitioner (GP) visit subsidies, free annual flu vaccines and discounts on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) services.

Guest-of-honour at the launch, NTUC's secretary-general, Ng Chee Meng said in his speech: "It is encouraging to see Grab taking our associations' and workers' feedback seriously and this shows that when platform operations and workers' associations come together, we can make meaningful progress".

Massages, fuel discounts for the road ahead

Come 2025, Grab will also offer free massages to platform workers at least once every three months.

Partners can now also obtain upgraded discounts on daily operating costs such as fuel and electric vehicle charging.

Ride-hailing firm Gojek and delivery app Foodpanda offer similar welfare support, ranging from accident coverage on rides to fuel rebates and discounts.

Earlier this month, Gojek had also enhanced its benefits programme to include greater fuel savings for drivers. "In our regular engagements with driver-partners, their top request has always been higher upfront fuel discounts as fuel expenses contribute a sizable amount to their operational costs," a Gojek spokesperson told AsiaOne.

How businesses could manage costs sustainably

Lawmakers had earlier cited concerns about the costs to be incurred by firms for higher CPF contributions and work injury compensation when the Bill is enacted. To that, Koh was of the view that "it is part and parcel of running a business," and "no different in nature" from what other companies must incur for workers' welfare.

Grab also clarified that the benefits will vary in coverage across its base of platform workers. This is determined through a tiering system that prioritises based on several factors such as workers' frequency of taking jobs.

Yee mentioned that these benefits are issued in collaboration with Grab's corporate partners, explaining that in doing so, prudence has to be observed. "We want to make sure that it's also sustainable to the corporate partners… to ensure that there's longevity to these benefits," he continued.

kimi.ang@asiaone.com