gig drivers

Gig economy faces uncertain impact from new tax reporting standards

New tax reporting standards chart an uncertain future for the gig economy

No one likes paying taxes, but filing taxes is especially bothersome for gig workers. As independent contractors, they are required to keep track of their own incomes and make quarterly estimated payments, unlike most employees, and they pay double the tax rate employees pay for Social Security and Medicare because the companies they drive for don’t match their contributions.

So far, that hasn’t stopped 16% of Americans –– that’s nearly 53 million people –– who earned money on gig platforms in...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/gig-economy-faces-uncertain-impact-from-new-tax-reporting-standards

Food delivery apps face EU crackdown: Are US companies next?

Companies like Uber, Lyft and DoorDash could feel the heat in the U.S. when EU lawmakers rule on gig worker classification this week

Third-party food delivery companies in Europe aren’t doing so hot. The European Commission, the executive branch of the EU, is scheduled to meet this week to propose what speculators believe will be stricter labor rules to regulate the gig economy in the region.

Specifically, ​​reports suggest that the commission will require gig companies to directly employ their couriers, rather than classify them as independent contractors. On the heels of that news, investors have soured on food delivery...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/food-delivery-apps-face-eu-crackdown-are-us-companies-next

Stride aims to give every gig worker a portable benefits account

Stride secures $47 million funding raise to build out portable benefits accounts for gig workers and gig drivers

One enduring feature of the gig economy is “multi-apping” — driving or delivering for several platforms. Many gig workers drive not only with Uber, for example, but with Lyft, too.

The problem, though, is that gig workers don’t receive benefits from any of the platforms they work for due to their legal status as independent contractors, which has contributed to a back-and-forth between gig workers and gig companies that has roiled the gig economy for months.

But what if gig workers not only...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/stride-aims-to-give-every-gig-worker-a-portable-benefits-account

This company is turning gig workers into gig economy shareholders

Moves Financial is giving stock in gig companies to gig workers

As gig economy companies like Uber continue to bring in more money and users, the rising tide has not lifted all boats.

In the last quarter, rideshare and food delivery companies raked in the revenue: Uber brought in nearly $4 billion; DoorDash accrued $1.24 billion; Just Eat Takeaway, which owns Grubhub, made $884 million; and Lyft generated $765 million. But where is that money going?

According to Matt Spoke, CEO of gig economy fintech provider Moves Financial, a lot of it is being spent on...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/this-company-is-turning-gig-workers-into-gig-economy-shareholders

Instacart shoppers plan nationwide strike for Saturday

Instacart drivers shoppers workers stage strike for better working conditions

It should come as no surprise that the state of the gig economy is a precarious one. Gig companies like Uber and Lyft are still struggling to make a profit – they’re also struggling to pay their rideshare and food delivery drivers adequately, which has resulted in a nationwide wave of pushback against gig employers, both from their workers and from legislators.

Instacart drivers – referred to as shoppers by the company – are the latest group seeking to make their voices heard. A group of...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/instacart-shoppers-plan-nationwide-strike-for-saturday

3 Canadian drivers claim dismissal for following Uber’s COVID guidelines

3 uber drivers claim they were fired gig economy rideshare

Three Uber drivers in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, claim they were fired for adhering to the company’s COVID-19 safety guidelines, several sources reported Sunday. The drivers reportedly were laid off after refusing to serve customers who threatened violence or bad reviews when told to put on a mask.

“I bought a new car, borrowed money from my friend and planned to start studying for my future, but my livelihood was stolen from me,” explained driver Bhupinder Singh in a statement from UFCW...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/3-canadian-drivers-claim-dismissal-for-following-ubers-covid-guidelines

Payfare, Stride partner on real-time payments for gig workers

Fintech company Payfare partners with Stride Bank on instant payments for gig workers and the gig economy

Food delivery drivers last week claimed a win in the ongoing gig economy battle between employers and their workers, who are often classified as independent contractors instead of employees and are deprived of the benefits that come with full employment. Last Thursday, the New York City Council approved a legislative package that, among other things, established a minimum payment per trip for delivery drivers. But for the more than 70% of gig workers living paycheck to paycheck, that money is...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/payfare-stride-partner-on-real-time-payments-for-gig-workers

Truework expands credit access for gig workers

Truework income verification API gig economy workers

Independent work is all the rage right now. Here’s a crazy stat – if the growth rate of Uber drivers were to remain steady, every person in America would be an Uber driver within five years. But despite the rapidly growing popularity of independent work, gig-economy workers from freelance artists to rideshare drivers still face many disadvantages that traditional workers do not.

However, their lives got a little bit easier on Wednesday, when one-stop income verification service Truework debuted...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/truework-expands-credit-access-for-gig-workers

Uber nears deal with UK labor union

Uber nears deal with UK labor union

Uber (NYSE: UBER) is reportedly set to recognize the rights of drivers to unionize in the U.K., according to a report, in a similar arrangement to its deal with the Independent Drivers Guild (IDG) in the U.S.

Bloomberg reported the ride-hailing giant is set to recognize GMB, a 620,000-plus labor union that represents drivers, delivery workers and more in the U.K., allowing drivers using the platform to collectively bargain for rights.

GMB was one of the unions that supported the recent U.K....

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/uber-nears-deal-with-uk-labor-union

Oklahoma law exempts delivery services from trucking regulations

An exemption for local delivery companies – including food delivery platforms and Amazon Flex drivers – from regulations generally used to regulate trucking companies in the state of Oklahoma has been signed into law.

The bill, the Oklahoma Courier Application Services Act, was proposed by Republican Sen. Micheal Bergstrom. It passed both chambers in Oklahoma and was signed by Gov. Kevin Still earlier this month. The law goes into effect Nov. 1.

“Delivery services like Uber Eats, DoorDash,...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/oklahoma-law-exempts-delivery-services-from-trucking-regulations

+ More