The rapidly spreading novel coronavirus is supercharging a debate about the treatment of gig workers. The relief bill signed Friday by President Trump will provide a short-term lifeline. But some workers for companies such as Uber, Lyft, Postmates, Instacart, and Amazon worry the help won’t come soon enough.
Today, many gig workers are considered independent contractors, not entitled to workers’ compensation, health care benefits, or sick pay. Because their employers don’t pay into unemployment insurance, the workers haven’t been able to obtain those benefits either. Many app-based companies have established relief funds to support sick and quarantined drivers, though spokespeople for Uber, Lyft, and Postmates declined to say how much money they have given out, or to how many workers. But many workers say the system incentivizes them to drive when they may be sick, until they are too ill to get behind the wheel or deliver food.
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The relief bill Trump signed allows independent contractors to receive unemployment benefits on par with other workers. In a letter to the White House earlier in the week, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi advocated for including gig workers. He also urged lawmakers’ to consider a third category of employment for gig workers, a request that was not included in the fin