I am unsure if this is a wage that workers receive while clocked in maneuvering to "hot zone" activity areas in order to get orders OR if it only applies when a worker has accepted an order. If it is the latter case, then these workers can still receive a sub federal minimum wage if there aren't many orders placed or if the algorithm decides to prioritize one worker over another.
Browsing reddit.com/r/ubereatsdrivers and /r/ubereats has led me to believe that the majority of these workers spend their time waiting between orders and that they will not receive an order waiting in a stationary location for too long (i.e. they could be ready+willing to accept an order for hours and would be penalized if they did not actively drive or if camped out in a parking lot/home).
With the new able bodied working requirements for SNAP and other benefits, I wonder if it is possible that gig workers can be engaged in work activity for 80+ hours per month while not technically meeting that requirement. That would mean they would make less than minimum wage and be cut off from healthcare and food assistance.
I also discovered than many of these drivers aren't really earning more than a base rate of a couple of dollars (literally ~$2) and tips. It seems like these delivery platforms have positioned themselves in such a way that they are extracting a pound of flesh from restaurants, customers, and underpaying their workers.
Honestly a bit crazy to me, seems to be creating this interesting exception, as if we all know most of these delivery workers aren't necessarily thinking like contractors. To me, setting a minimum wage for a particular kind of independent contractor is odd. It's almost as if its a détente between the city and the delivery app middlemen as far as employment goes.
If so, it's interesting as its technically an even higher in your pocket minimum wage, as most minimum wage workers can't deduct most their expenses as these workers will be able.
Are there any other lobbies or groups you're aware of that have a separate minimum wage from the standard enshrined into law, rather than a contract/negotiation?
It seems odd that these workers are classified as independent contractors when they have very little control over how to perform their jobs, and are penalized for not accepting orders or not being given information about orders they are presented with.
Browsing various delivery subreddits has been eye-opening for me and changed the way I view these workers.
IIRC, The IRS has a specific 20 point test and many states expand on it. Being responsible for your own costs and the "relative" flexibility in that, you can start and end deliveries whenever, wherever, however you want. It gets murky if say, you require them to be on during certain times and threaten them with termination if the don't.
In theory, you can deduct the fuel and repair costs since you are running your own business so you only get taxed on the profit.
Browsing reddit.com/r/ubereatsdrivers and /r/ubereats has led me to believe that the majority of these workers spend their time waiting between orders and that they will not receive an order waiting in a stationary location for too long (i.e. they could be ready+willing to accept an order for hours and would be penalized if they did not actively drive or if camped out in a parking lot/home).
With the new able bodied working requirements for SNAP and other benefits, I wonder if it is possible that gig workers can be engaged in work activity for 80+ hours per month while not technically meeting that requirement. That would mean they would make less than minimum wage and be cut off from healthcare and food assistance.
I also discovered than many of these drivers aren't really earning more than a base rate of a couple of dollars (literally ~$2) and tips. It seems like these delivery platforms have positioned themselves in such a way that they are extracting a pound of flesh from restaurants, customers, and underpaying their workers.