Pieties for gig workers

benfell

Updates

  1. Originally published, March 7, 2020, 7:45 pm.
  2. March 7, 9:30 pm:
    • While I have not received an email from Uber like the one I received from Lyft,[1] Reuters is reporting that Uber will compensate drivers.[2] The same absences of detail apply.

Gig economy

All these oh so pious words and a couple bucks might—only might—buy you a small cup of coffee. Senator Mark Warner of Virginia wants gig companies to take care of their drivers who may have to take time off due to coronavirus, and whom we all want to follow medical advice, including that which would help to limit the spread of the virus. The companies profusely promise that they are looking into doing just that.[3]

I cannot afford to be so easily impressed.[4] I have, however, received the following from Lyft (I’ve chased down actual links and substituted those for the email redirects so they should all actually work):

With recent news around coronavirus (COVID-19), we want to help you stay informed. We’re continuing to update our online resource with answers to frequently asked questions.

In addition, we wanted to share actions we’re taking to help support the community.

Hand sanitizer

We’ve partnered with our friends at EO Products, makers of Everyone, to offer free hand sanitizer at our Driver Hubs and Service Centers. These will be ready for pickup in the coming days and we’ll let you know when they are available in your city.

Driver fund

We’ve set up a fund to support drivers should they be diagnosed with COVID-19, or put under individual quarantine by a public health agency.

Sharing updates

We’re getting guidance from health officials as this develops, and will continue to share any updates on our online resource.

Thanks for doing your part to help the community.[5]

There are no further details on the “driver fund.” Especially missing here is an assurance that a full income, paltry though it is, will be assured. The nearest driver hub or service center to where I live is clear on the other side of Pittsburgh; it’d have to be a pretty big bottle of hand sanitizer (assuming it’s even vegan) to warrant the trip.

Megan Rose Dickey, “Senator urges Uber, Lyft, Instacart and others to offer gig workers financial security in light of COVID-19 concerns,” TechCrunch, March 6, 2020, https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/06/senator-urges-uber-lyft-instacart-and-others-to-offer-gig-workers-financial-security-in-light-of-covid-19-concerns/

Mekhla Raina, “Uber says it will compensate drivers diagnosed with coronavirus,” Reuters, March 7, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-uber-idUSKBN20U105

  1. [1]Lyft to David Benfell, “Caring for the Lyft community,” March 7, 2020, https://www.lyft.com/↩
  2. [2]Mekhla Raina, “Uber says it will compensate drivers diagnosed with coronavirus,” Reuters, March 7, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-uber-idUSKBN20U105↩
  3. [3]Megan Rose Dickey, “Senator urges Uber, Lyft, Instacart and others to offer gig workers financial security in light of COVID-19 concerns,” TechCrunch, March 6, 2020, https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/06/senator-urges-uber-lyft-instacart-and-others-to-offer-gig-workers-financial-security-in-light-of-covid-19-concerns/↩
  4. [4]David Benfell, “About my job hunt,” Not Housebroken, n.d., https://disunitedstates.org/about-my-job-hunt/↩
  5. [5]Lyft to David Benfell, “Caring for the Lyft community,” March 7, 2020, https://www.lyft.com/↩

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