To curb attrition, e-commerce delivery staff get handsome hikes, perks: Report

To control rising attrition, e-commerce companies are giving delivery personnel double-digit salary hikes and perks, The Economic Times reports.

Attrition among delivery staff rose to 34 percent in 2017 from 29 percent in 2015, the report said, citing data from staffing agency TeamLease.

To retain delivery staff, e-commerce firms have been raising salaries and providing benefits such as night-shift allowance, reimbursements and hospitalisation and accident insurance. These benefits are usually given to those on the firm's payroll.

The average salary of a delivery person has improved to Rs 11,500 per month in 2017 from Rs 7,500  a month in 2014, according to TeamLease.

Difficult work conditions, such as rough weather, is the main reason for the high rate of attrition.

India's e-commerce sector is expected to employ one million delivery staff by 2022, TeamLease estimates.

"Attrition is particularly high among those who work on contracts," Rituparna Chakraborty, co-founder of TeamLease, was quoted as saying by the paper.

Attrition is also high among those who work on two-wheelers than those who use bigger vehicles, Mithun Srivatsa, chief executive of logistics company Blowhorn, told ET.

Bengaluru-based BigBasket estimates attrition of 10-12 percent among its delivery personnel, depending on the location, the publication reported.