Zerodha CEO announces bonus to employees for losing weight, netizens show mixed reactions

Online broking start-up Zerodha co-founder and CEO Nithin Kamath made a ‘healthy’ announcement for his company’s staff on the occasion of World Health Day (7 April). He declared that any employee with a BMI (body mass index) of less than 25 will get half a month’s salary as a bonus. This scheme is also applicable to staff members who will lose weight. Kamath mentioned that his firm is running this “fun health program” to encourage employees to remain healthy.

In his series of Tweets, Kamath talked about this health initiative to pay a half-month salary as a bonus to anyone with a BMI of less than 25. He also mentioned that the average BMI of his employees is 25.3 and they need to reduce it to below 24 by August to receive the bonus. He further added that this scheme is going to be a fun competition with other companies.

The lowest average BMI or the largest change in average BMI wins. The winner chooses a charity everyone else contributes to. Maybe a health tech company can run the initiative.

If you want to do this at your company, do post in the comments.

Happy world health day! 2/3

— Nithin Kamath (@Nithin0dha) April 7, 2022

In another tweet, Kamath inflated the rules of the challenge asserting that the lowest average BMI or the largest change in average BMI will be declared the winner. The winner will get to choose a charity to which everyone else needs to contribute. Through his tweet, he also suggested health tech companies run this kind of initiative to mark the World Health Day.

PS: I know BMI isn’t the best measure to track health & fitness, but it is the easiest way to get started. With health & most other things in life, the most important bit is to get started.
Btw, walking 10,000 steps daily is a great start if you've been wanting to get healthy 3/3

— Nithin Kamath (@Nithin0dha) April 7, 2022

Soon, his Twitter threads got the eyes of the users across social media. They are doubting if the idea will push people toward body-shaming and fatphobia. Some of them also stated that BMI may not be the healthiest parameter to track health and fitness at all. However, defending his opinion, Kamath mentioned it as the easiest step to take initially.

The challenge can be seen as an addition to the company’s existing ‘12-month get-healthy goal’ programme that Kamath announced last year to encourage people to prioritise health amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the programme, everyone reaching their health goal would get a chance to take part in a lottery worth 10 lakh and also would get one month’s salary as a bonus.

The CEO also organised yoga sessions and made mental health counsellors available for his employees during the lockdown. The initiative, however, was quite successful but not broad-based.

While Kamath’s gesture of last August was praised by all, his current step generated a mixed opinion on the internet. Here’s what users are thinking about the health challenge:

Zerodha employees right now pic.twitter.com/3bU7ThTDI4

— Pushkar Bendre (@pushkarbendre) April 8, 2022

There's no phobia here. Stop whining and start getting healthy. I'm also trying to lose weight.

— Parth Vader (@pussymonious) April 8, 2022

Though In my case, I had suggested, they would have to undergo a fitness test. 5km fun, followed by 25 pushups and 5 pullups. Instead of BMI you should test for hba1c levels, better indicator of health and diabetes

— Rohit (@pointerness) April 8, 2022

This is literally the capitalist version of a hamster wheel. https://t.co/vXrGxRr3Cp pic.twitter.com/Jj11b2QNk2

— Imthiaz Muhassin (@ImthiazMuhassin) April 8, 2022

Duffer of the month award goes to the tech bro who revolutionised corporate fat shaming.#fatshaming #zerodha #ashneergrover #SharkTankIndia https://t.co/JJTDRAfzYA pic.twitter.com/xSZEK9Yt6t

— Radha (@R_funnyfoodie) April 8, 2022

What do you think of Nithin Kamath’s fun health initiative?