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Grubhub workers for food delivery in California have reacted angrily to changes to the platform that they say discourage downloading, saying they will erase the perceived benefits of new rules for gig workers in the state.
Last month, California passed Proposition 22, which gave the shortage of benefits full-time employees receive but a limited number to gig workers.
Weeks after the ruling, Grubhub reduced its standard tip amount from about 20 percent to zero, adding a proposal to leave ” an optional fee on the benefits of drivers. ”
Like other programs, Grubhub added an additional ‘benefit’ fee, in the case of $ 1.50, to each order in California – although the money is placed in a centralized pot for which only a limited number of executives are expected will fully qualify.
‘[The] benefits are not nearly high enough to compensate for the encouragement of no tip, ”one Grubhub worker wrote on Reddit.
“Such nonsense to drive this wedge between customers and managers,” wrote another. A third adds: ‘It’s icy. Really disappointing. ”
Under Proposition 22, workers receive a health care grant, provided they clock at least 15 hours a week on one of the gig programs. To qualify, however, workers must already be the primary policyholder on an existing health care plan.
To get the full allowance, workers must put in at least 25 hours a week. According to a study by the University of California, Berkeley, companies only count ‘engaged’ time, without spending periods allotted without work. No provision is made for leisure or illness. Data shared by Uber suggested that about three-quarters of its own drivers would not meet this threshold.
Other benefits include a guaranteed minimum earnings, accident insurance and $ 0.30 per mile for vehicle expenses. The measures are considered inadequate by employee groups, but the gig companies claim that such a model is essential if workers want to maintain their flexible work patterns.
But a study by the University of California, Santa Cruz, in May found that “delivery workers are particularly dependent on tips, which make up 30 percent of their estimated earnings.”
“I keep a record,” said Jeanine, a Grubhub worker in the San Francisco Bay Area. “And there was a complete reversal. This is amazing. ”
She shared an outline of her tips on the platform with the Financial Times, both before and after the change. On two consecutive Saturdays, she completed the same number of orders – eight – but on the first Saturday, before the change, 100 percent of her customers left at least a small tip – a total of $ 61.03.
On the second Saturday, five of her eight customers left no fee, with the rest totaling $ 24.71.
Responding to criticism of the new fee options, a Grubhub spokesman said: ‘Some California meals may see this at the checkout along with a driver benefits fee, and eaters may still leave a fee for their driver, also by using tip function. ”
Proposal 22 gave workers ‘more stability’, the statement said.
Uber and DoorDash said last week that they would raise prices to fund Proposition 22 benefits, although only Grubhub has yet made changes to its seesaw system.
In June, it was announced that Grubhub would be acquired by European food delivery group Just Eat Takeaway for a $ 7.3 billion deal.
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