For gig workers on apps like Instacart, Postmates, and DoorDash, working during the coronavirus crisis has meant longer hours for less pay — and dramatically increased risk.
These companies are seeing more business, and raking in billions from the work their couriers and shoppers do. But in spite of all the extra risk workers are taking on, companies are still paying as little as $2 per delivery. And they still aren’t offering basic protections like sick leave.
In our city, gig work is now “essential” work. So we need essential protections like sick leave and hazard pay to get us through this crisis. And we need pay standards in the long run so the next emergency doesn’t push us over the edge.
The companies we work for are making billions, but we’re the ones putting our health and wellbeing on the line for others during this pandemic. I’m working long hours — 6 am to 10 pm with short breaks in between. The PPE from companies is non-existent — all they sent me was a flimsy mask and a tiny bottle of hand sanitizer that lasted a few days. We deserve fair compensation for this work, and we need hazard pay. We also need sick leave. We deserve to be able to take care of ourselves when we are not feeling well, and we need to be able to still live and not have to put the public at risk just to pay the rent.
- Ulysses, Instacart worker
I started doing gig work in 2016 to supplement my income, but last year I was laid off and forced to use the gig economy as my primary job. Now, my kids’ schools are closed, and I’ve had to stop working to take care of them & because I’m high-risk for COVID-19. I can’t get through to unemployment, and I’ve been forced to get back on TANF after hitting the 60-month limit. My food stamps have been reduced. I cannot make ends meet or pay my bills to survive. It has been heartbreakingly tough for me in all areas. This is why gig workers need hazard pay and sick leave. I cannot afford to get sick — I am all my three daughters have to support them through their childhoods. I need paid family sick leave to keep my family and others safe and healthy from coronavirus. I need immediate help financially to keep my family alive.
- Mariah, Postmates/Uber Eats/Lyft driver
We are essential workers just like all others who are classified as “essential.” But as gig workers, we have some pickup spots that won't even let us use the restroom, even though we are working with them in this crisis situation.
I was still out there working during the pandemic up until a month ago - but I have three daughters who work in the medical field, and they were all pushing me to quit working because I’m over 65 and at risk. I have two grandchildren and I’m their only surviving grandparent.
I stopped working because the companies were lowering the pay by hiring so many people - it just isn’t worth the risk of getting sick for a $2 delivery. Staying home wasn’t an easy choice for me. I don’t have any money, and I have to be very careful. My children will lend me money, and I was able to get $400 in food stamps, so I was able to get my bills and rent paid, but I don’t know how long that will last, and I might have to go out and start working again soon We need to make sure gig workers get sick leave so we can stay at home to protect ourselves and others.
- James, Postmates worker
Gig work is my only income, and during the crisis I’ve seen a decrease in earnings. With more people turning to gig work to make ends meet, orders offered to drivers have become scarce. There are days where I only make enough to go on for the next day, put gas in the car, and grab a few groceries.
I have requested PPE from Grubhub (Grubhub recently offered drivers free PPE), but have not received it yet. I have a cloth mask which I have been wearing while delivering. I am trying to make a habit of sanitizing my hands after each delivery. I work as much as possible, attempting to make up for lost earnings.
I went to the ER in January with extreme flu-like symptoms, constantly coughing and gasping for breath with a fever of 103. Although not diagnosed, I now believe I was sick with COVID-19. Although extremely weak, constantly coughing and having trouble taking a full breath, I kept working as delivery driver because it was my only source of income. At times I was too weak to work or finish my shift. I lost my opportunity to earn an income. I am now behind on all my bills. I do not know how I will financially recover. I am still experiencing waves of COVID-19 symptoms. At times I am not able to work.
With sick leave, I would not have tried to work when I was so very sick and possibly spreading the coronavirus. With sick leave, I would have stayed home. With sick leave, I may have recovered faster. I do not live paycheck to paycheck. I do not live day to day. I live order to order. If you consider the work I do as essential to your quality of life, I should be paid by the value of the vital resource I provide to you.
- Carmen, Grubhub worker
I’ve been working full-time on Instacart since June of 2018, but in the last four months it’s been hard to rely on it as steady income. There are less jobs available, and the pay per job is even lower than before. It’s been so bad that I’m lucky to make at least $50 a day. People aren’t using masks, and most of us are high-risk. We need sick leave and hazard pay because we put our health and lives on the line as essential workers to serve our community.
- Mary, Instacart worker
While I was looking for a job within my field, I relied 100% on gig work for income. But since the crisis hit, I have had to stop working altogether. I have a toddler and someone close to me with a heart condition. I decided that $10/hour in a high-risk environment was not a good tradeoff for my or their lives. We need hazard pay because we are essential workers, just like grocery employees, bus drivers, and home health aides. People rely on these services. And we need sick leave because it’s irresponsible to have ANY essential worker doing their job while sick. We need these protections as much as grocery employees or any other essential worker.
- Phoenix, Instacart/Shipt worker
Instead of hazard pay, this crisis has depressed my earnings. In the first three weeks of the crisis, I maintained a two-day workweek and much of my finances suffered in the interim. I have since taken back to Dashing and I’ve made a good portion of money at times, but I have also lost out on a great deal of money. On Cinco De Mayo, I lost $70 and my acceptance rate took a significant hit because of the ill-prepared nature of DoorDash’s systems to metering order. There was a lot of money lost by everyone and I can’t get that money back.
On top of that, people are breaking social distancing left and right, and there’s no accountability for maintaining safety practices - picking up orders from restaurants was like any other normal Cinco De Mayo. It was completely flooded with people, and there was no way to maintain social distancing.
Because the pay on these apps is so low, I can’t save up money to stay home if I’m sick - DoorDash pays about $5 an hour after my expenses are taken into account, so I have no savings to dip into in an emergency. I don’t have a choice about whether to work - I’ve been out delivering for six days this week, even though I have a history of asthma and am in a higher risk category.
If we want these growing companies to be accountable to our communities, we need our lawmakers to hold them accountable for providing sick leave & other basic standards like pay that accounts for our time and the risk we’re taking.
- Jason, DoorDash worker
I’ve been doing Postmates on and off for a long time — I started when they first opened up in Seattle in 2012. Sometimes it’s worth it, and sometimes it’s totally not.
I mainly relied on Rover, a dog-walking/sitting app, but when the crisis hit, my income on Rover instantaneously evaporated. I started relying on Postmates completely.
Then in March, I got sick. At first I thought it was just a regular cold, but I was sick for most of the month, and there were four or five days where all I could do was stay home and try to sleep. Postmates said they were providing sick pay, but it wouldn’t apply to me because it said you needed to test positive for COVID-19, and at the time we didn’t have access to testing here.
So at the very beginning, I kept delivering. The responsible thing to do is stay home. And when I realized I might have COVID-19, that’s what I did. But taking the time off has had a big impact on my finances — I’m not paying rent and I’ve given up on my credit card bills. I missed all my payments for the first time ever I was already behind because of a surgery I had in February, and then this happened. My landlady has been understanding, but she wants to know what the plan is — and right now I don’t have one.
Gig workers need sick leave so we can stay home and recover when we’re sick. Just having to work when you’re sick is a problem on its own, let alone the risk of infecting others. It’s a really quick way to spread the virus, and since we don’t have the option of working from home or just staying late at the office next week, we have to work when the work is available, even if we’re sick.
- Megan, Postmates/Rover worker
Doing gig work during the crisis has been challenging for me. I’m getting lower pay and I feel as though I'm putting myself at risk, especially since more and more people are using these apps. But I don't have another choice, especially since my other jobs are not financially stable nor viable at this time.
We are providing a service during a pandemic. If we weren't there, then the restaurants wouldn't be able to serve their own customers in our current climate. They do not have the means to bring in an income without us. We also have families that we are also putting into harm’s way, all for the sake of a meal or groceries or even something as small as earbuds. The action of the drivers affects more than what we can see, and we need sick leave and hazard pay during this crisis.
- Joyce, DoorDash/Postmates/Grubhub/Uber Eats worker
The work we do is so important, and we deserve hazard pay. We have been classified as essential workers, and we go out to help everyone else out. But we are making less and less money. If we work, we can't get unemployment. But companies are trying not to pay their workers and are getting away with it.
If we get sick, especially now, we may have this virus and continue to pass it along to others. If we had sick leave available, we could stay home and get well. People still continue to work because they have bills to pay. This is why it's important for us to get sick leave now and all the time. In fact, when I got into my car accident in 2018, I was out of work for six months, and having any sort of unemployment benefits, sick leave, or even FMLA for that matter would have helped me tremendously. Instead I went into debt.
- Nancy, DoorDash/Caviar worker
I started doing gig work in late 2015. I had a part-time job when the opportunity came up to earn more with the gig work.I am deaf and it's hard to get other kinds of work. For me, being a gig worker during the crisis has meant having to keep getting out there despite the virus. We need hazard pay because we encounter expenses of gloves and masks. Moreover, we risk getting infected and thus have to stay away from work. We need sick leave because we work as hard as wage workers who already have sick leave.
- Mary, Instacart worker
I have worked for several companies, including DoorDash, Postmates, & Instacart. Several companies have lowered the pay per delivery, clearly turning a tidy profit during the pandemic. But doing this work during the crisis has exposed me to higher risk of infection due to the fact some shoppers and store employees have not only interacted without face masks, but most people i interact with have not been properly tested for infection.
The relatively low pay we receive per completed order does not cover medical expenses, should we contract the virus affecting people worldwide. We lack adequate medical coverage, especially considering the elevated risks during this crisis. Our pay alone cannot cover lost wages due to illness while dealing with the current virus. Please pass these important measures.
- Kevin, Instacart/Postmates worker
All of these companies take advantage of those in a desperate financial situation. I believe if we continue down this road as a society, the ramifications will be devastating to low-income and vulnerable people. Gig companies need to open up the algorithms, pay appropriately and provide essential benefits to their workers.
I’ve had to stop doing gig work altogether during the crisis — it's far too dangerous for little pay, high risks, and all costs being absorbed by the worker. Gig workers should be getting hazard pay & sick leave because we are people providing an essential service that plays a large part in flattening the infection curve and keeping people at home. We are putting our lives on the line. Providing these protections is the only moral option.
- Mark, Instacart/DoorDash/Postmates worker
During the crisis, I'm working 8 hours on Instacart and 4 hours on Grubhub every day. My family relies on me, I'm the sole earner. I have a child in college and a high schooler. I barely get to see my children who need me.
Had I received fair compensation and hazard pay, I wouldn't have to work 12 hours a day to provide for my family. We are going out into every single environment that nobody wants to and has been deemed to be unsafe in order to provide food to those people who are home safe! I have to take extra precautions every time I go into the store — and every time I go home, I enter through the mudroom, leave my clothes there, and go shower.
Just like anyone else, if we are unable to work there is no income. The majority of the people employed enjoy a benefit package that we are not afforded, which incentivizes people to do better work and remain loyal to their company. Instacart has shown they are not loyal to their workers who make them cash. They’ve shown a consistent disregard for the welfare of the shoppers even as we are the face of the company making it work. We need sick leave to protect ourselves during this crisis.
I don't think most people understand the amount of work that goes into this type of work, until now. We are deemed essential, yet we are not afforded basic income stability.
- Tracy, Instacart/Grubhub worker
I have been a personal trainer for 15 years, and was utilizing working as a Uber/Lyft driver to supplement my income. When I first started, these companies paid a LOT better. Within the last year, the pay has decreased substantially while the expenses have gone up by exponential margins.
During this crisis, the very bottom has dropped out. I used to drive 25 rides per day but now I'm not driving AT ALL. There's nobody to take anywhere. I have not been able to get unemployment as of yet, I'm still waiting. I'm living off of my savings and the goodwill of others.
I feel that gig workers need to be paid more because this pandemic has shown the fragility of our basic infrastructure. The business model for all of the companies doesn't work especially since all of the expenses are placed on the workers themselves. We have no savings, no lifeline or safety net.
I like the idea of gig work, and working independently BUT I feel these companies who have made billions of dollars pass the buck on responsibility. Without the gig workers, these companies could not and will exist. During this time of crisis we need the same basic rights that any worker should have. Basic benefits that these companies can afford, especially since the companies continually advertise that they are making billions in profit every quarter.
- Ian, Uber/Lyft driver
I rely on my income from Lyft fully for all of my financial needs, including taking care of my family here and sending money to my family in Kenya. During the crisis, I’ve been getting less jobs, and that means a smaller paycheck.
I have absolutely no say in what happens. I must make money for my family. They rely on me solely, and low pay means my family doesn't eat. I'm going into debt. Because of this I'm really stressed out. It's hard, and I'm hoping not to fall into depression.
I keep telling myself that I'm blessed, but when you don't pay your landlord, and other creditors are coming due...I don't know what to do. Hazard pay would give us all hope, and decrease us from getting into more debts at this time. And we need sick leave because a lot of us don't have savings, and if I got sick my family will be in trouble too. This is an opportunity for us to make sure we ALL have basic benefits. Please help us. Please give us hope. Not just for us but for our children as well.
- Francis, Lyft driver
I started doing gig work for extra money. But it became a full-time job until I was able to find employment with Amazon. I still work on DoorDash and Grubhub part-time to help others, and by doing so I am making sure people are not leaving their homes to go get food.
Lately we have not been protected. I am immunocompromised and I’m still doing my job with extra precautions. But the pay has been even lower than usual, and the low pay has been making it so I can’t afford my bills. I can’t find any PPE for my health. I have actually lowered my hours from 10 to 6 and that’s not fair. Just like Amazon and Fred Meyers workers, we need hazard pay. We are on the front lines going into restaurants and dropping off at customers’ homes if not to the customer physically. I help others, but would like to be safe and get paid more. And I would like to get paid sick leave in case I get COVID-19 so I wouldn’t have to stress.
- Alisha, DoorDash/Grubhub worker
I started doing gig work back in January of 2018. Got a family that relies on my money to contribute as well. I rely on it a lot, especially now that we are dealing with this virus. I work for the government full-time so between that and the gig job I work 50-60 hour weeks.
During the crisis I’ve been working more and making more, but the usual pay is between $8-10 an order with tips. Sometimes there’s no tip. I have been told I can get PPE to wear but I would have to pay shipping for the items to get shipped to me. I encounter daily situations like I do not know who has or does not have the virus, so to me that is scary. Getting hazard pay would allow us to not work as much and still get paid more than we are now. And sick leave will help us tremendously if we get sick so we can support our families the best way possible.
- Jay, DoorDash/Uber Eats worker
Many gig workers are in the high risk group for infection. People do NOT social distance even though there's a mandate. Any time anyone comes into contact with a customer they are at risk for infection.
My family has been tested and came back positive. It's been months since they got over it, but still have symptoms. Unfortunately, we still have to work. We need proper sick leave because we should not be pressured by ANY employer of any nature to work sick under any circumstance, be that gig economy or traditional employment.
- Terri, Instacart worker
As a self-employed artist who is taking care of ill parents, I need supplemental income and that's what gig work is to me. Because I'm my mother's caregiver, and due her varying days and abilities, I'm unable to accept a 9-5 career at this time. Now, I’m risking bringing home this virus and infect my mother.
My pay is extremely low and I have been utilizing savings from prior years, and I'm running out. We allow the general population to be able to shelter in place as we take on the risks.
We need need sick leave because we get sick too! We are only human, and we too have health issues and need the time to recuperate without the worry and hassles without a paycheck coming in, and then working sick and infecting others because we have to work.
- Aviona, Postmates/Shipt/Uber/Lyft worker
I started doing gig work to supplement my minimum-wage job. I did the dinner shift for Uber Eats, and because of that extra income I was able to pay all of my bills that I had already shaved down to the bare minimum. There's no way that anybody can live on minimum wage. When I started to do Uber Eats, I was getting to be more financially stable.
But I am currently furloughed from my main source of income, and because I'm paid minimum wage I don't have any savings. Gig workers need hazard pay because we come in contact with so many customers and restaurant workers who may be sick. Many hands handle a singular order starting with the restaurant, then myself, and finally the customer. We also need sick leave. If we don't have it, then we will continue to work sick, and get everyone else that we come into contact with sick. It is not in the best interest of these companies to help us — they are primarily there to make money off of everyone. The quicker these emergency measures are passed, the more we can reduce the amount of people who get sick.
- Michelle, Uber Eats worker
Because of the low rates, the amount of risk I have to take on to work overshadows the amount of pay I get. I lost my W-2 job as a result of the crisis, but doing gig work to make up for it is way too much effort and risk to receive barely subsistence income. I am an exploited member of the working poor class. I am undervalued, and overworked. I feel like a third-class citizen.
Gig workers need hazard pay because the job IS hazardous, period. The hazards have gone up, and the personal expenses have gone up, but the pay rates have steadily decreased. We have been pinched into a tiny, stressful space between decreasing income, rising expenses and increased physical hazard. We are extremely vulnerable in this space. Any small thing that goes wrong would cause a catastrophe in our lives. Something’s got to give - and I'm afraid it's going to be us.
Gig workers need sick leave because if we don't work, we don't eat. You get thrown out of your house, and you may end up in a tent on a hill by the highway, like I did. We don't get the same protections as every other worker in this state gets. If we get sick - we are screwed. These apps pay lip service to offering COVID assistance programs for the PR. In reality, there is a minuscule amount of concrete assistance for gig workers.
It's time to bring this new sector of workers up to the same level of protection as any other worker in our city.
- Kim, Shipt/Caviar/Lyft worker
Gig workers need sick leave because people come into contact with each other doing this work and the masks we wear are only going to help so much. We continually touch our faces, then everything else. With the information that is out there, we know that the virus can stay on surfaces for long periods of time, and in the air especially. We must take extra precautions. If this ordinance gets passed, it will force the companies to see us as their responsibility.
Essential workers are putting themselves at risk — we don't know who is sick, or even asymptomatic. That’s why we need hazard pay too. We need to get all the services to offer extra pay, and make sure any extra money they’re charging customers is passed on to the actual driver and not the executives. We need every single app to be held to this standard — if one app doesn't accept this, then it won't work. Hazard pay would be a reward for those who actually go out and risk their lives.
- Alan, Caviar worker
Gig workers should get hazard pay during this crisis. As a gig worker doing Doordash, I was coming into contact with restaurant employees and customers. There's no outward physical appearance to know if a person is ill unless they are coughing. The precautions we take can only get you so much. People like me get exposed to others every day.
And gig workers need sick leave just like everyone else. Getting healthcare should be easy, but it’s not. Gig workers are usually working two or three apps at a time in order to make ends meet. Sick leave should be a right that we all should have.
Through all of this, the government has failed me, and my work has failed me. The only way that me and my family have been able to stay afloat is through the kindness of my community. I live with my family in the Bryant neighborhood. We do what we can here. We are the working poor. We are trans, people of color, and disabled. The mutual care that my family has pooled together is the only way we have been able to pay rent.