KOLKATA: Amid the second wave of the Covid2019 crisis, many organisations are taking initiatives for the well-being of their workforce. Even as several news and media enterprises are slashing salaries or resorting to mass lay-offs, Network18 and Viacom18 has paid all eligible employees the variable portion of remuneration for the last appraisal year ahead of schedule.

It is to be noted that this measure of variable payout is not related to performance ratings this year.

This financial relief is in addition to the media group’s drive to get its employees and their families vaccinated against Covid.

“This gesture of 100 per cent variable payout irrespective of performance this year is a small token of the company's appreciation of your efforts during these challenging times,” Network18 managing director Rahul Joshi wrote in an internal email to employees.

In the email, Joshi also requested them to take better care of their health, and to refrain from taking unnecessary risks to prevent health hazards. He also asked employees to reach out to each other, and to the organisation in case of any emergency.