Ritesh Agarwal, founder and group CEO of OYO Hotels & Homes, has announced he would forgo 100% of his salary for the rest of the year. The company’s entire executive leadership team has taken a voluntary pay cut starting at 25%, with many opting for an additional uncapped amount, and some going up to 50% to enable building the runway for the company, effective April 2020.
“The current situation the world over is deeply concerning to each and every one of us. OYO is doing everything to support the world with its limited resources in this pandemic from making isolation centres to finding a safe place for first responders. Given the current business situation, which is unprecedented for our industry globally, I am foregoing 100% of my salary for the rest of the year,” says Agarwal.”
“I’m grateful to my leadership team, that have also taken pay cuts and support the company during these tough times. We at OYO stand committed towards the fight against COVID-19 and will try to do everything in our control to reach out and help people while also ensuring long term success of the company, and our ability to continue delivering on our mission to bring better living spaces for all, at the right prices, globally.”
OYO has taken a series of measures to accommodate frontline medical staff, aircrew, corporates, tourists, as well as foreign nationals stranded in the nationwide lockdown in India and several other countries across the globe.
The company is focusing on a two-pronged strategy to minimise the possibility of infection and maximise social distancing and hygiene. Certain hotels are being identified to partner with hospitals for setting up safe, pay per use quarantine facilities. Certain others are focused on providing safe shelter to local and foreign tourists and travellers who are stranded in cities owing to the lockdown.
