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Struggling without a salary for the last two to four months, employees of Jet Airways received some more bad news on Tuesday — the company’s group medical policy has lapsed due to non-payment of premium.
This means the temporarily grounded airline’s 22,000-odd employees will have to rely on their own health insurance in case of a medical emergency in the family.
In a communication to employees, Rahul Taneja, Chief People Officer, said: “In the absence of any emergency funding from the lenders, we find ourselves facing a situation where we are not able to fund the premium of our Group Mediclaim Policy. The policy lapses on the midnight of April 30, 2019. These circumstances are not of our doing...”
According to sources, on Tuesday, a loader with Jet attempted suicide in Nagpur. Last week, a 45-year-old employee allegedly committed suicide. The employee, a cancer patient, was under stress due to mounting medical bills.
Few options
Abhishek Bhaskar, Senior Cabin Manager with Jet for 20 years, said: “My parents are senior citizens...getting a new mediclaim at their age is nearly impossible.” A new policy would be very costly, and not cover several diseases, he added.
Ashish Kumar Mohanty, President, Jet Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Welfare Association, did not take any other health policy because he had the airline’s group policy covering his entire family. Mohanty, who has been working with the company for 24 years, said: “Now, we are helpless.”
Rahul Yadav’s second baby is due in three weeks. On receiving the message on Tuesday, he approached the company, saying he was willing to pay the premium from his own pocket. While the company said yes, the policy will now not cover his wife’s maternity expenses because it was originally covered under a special clause in the group policy. “Due to complications, there are high chances that my wife will have to be operated upon. I have not got my salary for the past two months, and I have already borrowed money from my friends. I am uncertain of my future now,” rued Yadav.
For more stories, click here:The Jet Airways crisis
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