Carsome's management pools US$50,000 to support staff during Covid-19 crisis

EMPLOYEES of used-car platform Carsome who are serving mandatory stay-home notices will continue to receive their salaries in full for a maximum period of three months.

Meanwhile, if any staff is diagnosed with Covid-19, they will each receive a one-off gratuity payment of US$1,000.

The used-car trading platform will also pay for up to US$3,000 of costs should an infected staff require further treatment beyond that provided by public hospitals.

If any employee wishes to undergo testing for the novel coronavirus - after exhibiting symptoms or being identified as a close contact of a confirmed case - Carsome will bear testing costs of up to US$200 for each person.

These measures will be financed out of a new US$50,000 support fund sponsored by Carsome's management team, who are contributing to the fund out of their respective salaries.

The fund will cover the startup's 700 employees across South-east Asia, to ensure they are not financially distressed in light of the pandemic and to help them with their living expenses if they contract the virus, Carsome said in a press statement on Monday.

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In addition, proceeds from the fund will be used to procure protective equipment and supplies such as face masks and sanitisers for employees and their families. It will also contribute to the community by supporting projects to accelerate vaccination and societal recovery plans.

Eric Cheng, chief executive officer and co-founder of Carsome, said: "With the support fund, we hope we can help alleviate the stress the crisis has brought to our employees."

He also encouraged all staff to "constantly take good care of their personal hygiene and seek medical help should they feel unwell". In the meantime, the company is disinfecting and cleaning its inspection centres and offices.

Carsome is a marketplace for trading used cars and offers selling services ranging from inspection to ownership transfer. It has a presence in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.