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☆ 5 in-demand freelance jobs you can do from home—some pay over $200 an hour
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

To help freelancers find the best opportunities, Freelancer.com has identified five in-demand freelance jobs, based on more than 250,000 listings posted on its database between January and March 2024. ProgrammingAverage hourly rate: $2502. eCommerce development and managementAverage hourly rate: $2503. This has sparked demand for other freelance services related to running an e-commerce site, Siseles points out, including user interface design and copywriting. Freelance jobs may last for part of a day, a week, a month, a year or even longer — and while some jobs are priced hourly, others might have a fixed project rate. To find out where the jobs are and list your own services, consider creating a profile on Upwork, Freelancer.com, Fiverr, TaskRabbit or a different website advertising freelance jobs.

Persons: —, Yoav Hornung, Freelancer.com, Sebastián Siseles Organizations: CNBC, MBO Partners Locations: U.S, Upwork

☆ Strippers are suing an Alabama club for $100K, saying it forced them to share tips with other workers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Exotic dancers are suing an Alabama strip club, saying it made them share tips and pay 'house fees.' The dancers also argue that they were denied minimum wages, and subject to illegal kickbacks. AdvertisementExotic dancers are suing an Alabama strip club for at least $100,000 in compensatory damages, alleging that it forced them into giving up hard-earned tips to pay other workers. Last year, a federal judge ruled that former exotic dancers at another Birmingham strip club, The Furnace, had been employees, not independent contractors. The dancers at The Furnace had also argued that they were denied minimum wages and were forced to share tips and pay house fees.

Persons: —, Sammy's Organizations: Labor, Service, Northern District of, Sammy's Gentlemen's, Act, Fair Labor, US Department of Labor, Business Locations: Alabama, Northern District, Northern District of Alabama, Birmingham, East Coast

☆ People are getting taxed for gig work they've never done
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

It claimed that his wife, Kelly, hadn't paid about $10,000 in taxes on income from her work on DoorDash. None of them referenced Gardner's actual Social Security number, though all included the last four digits of other people's Social Security numbers. The hack gave the attackers access to Social Security numbers and other personal information about the drivers, the retailer said. Gardner, who had previously used DoorDash as a customer, said she ultimately ignored the 1099s she received. Do you work for DoorDash, Instacart, Walmart Spark, or another gig delivery service and have a story idea?

Persons: —, Brandon Emerson, Kelly, hadn't, DoorDash, Brandon, She's, @Uber I've, Michael M Organizations: Service, Business, Social, Uber Locations: Rochester , New York

☆ Latino immigrant workers died on the Baltimore bridge. More will likely rebuild it
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | Gloria Pazmino | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

More than two-thirds of Hispanic construction workers in America are foreign born. Working without a safety netFor the workers paid to rebuild the bridge, the job will be grueling — and dangerous. CNNWork-related deaths among foreign-born Hispanic or Latino workers rose to their highest level in 2021, according to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Fourteen percent of all work-related fatalities in 2021 were foreign-born Hispanic or Latino workers, and most of them worked in construction. The agency’s reports also “consistently show” that Latino and/or immigrant workers are less likely to report employer health and safety violations.

Persons: Francis Scott Key, We’re, It’s, Reinaldo Quintero, “, Carlos Hernández, Miguel Luna, Yassir Suazo Sandoval, Jose Mynor Lopez, Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, ”, Saket Soni, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Soni, ” Quintero, ’ ”, Sean McGarvey, Ligia Guallpa, Quintero, Hurricane Michael, Reinaldo Quintero “, ” Guallpa, Guallpa, Hurricane, Dave Einsel, ” Soni, Ron DeSantis ’, Fort Organizations: New, New York CNN, Bureau of Labor Statistics, CNN, Key, CNN Construction, Resilience Force, Force, of Labor Statistics, New York Committee, Occupational Safety, Health, York, New York State Department of Labor, Workers, North, Unions, Worker’s, Hurricane, Panama City, Safety, Health Administration, Historic New, New York Times, Gov Locations: New York, America, Louisiana, Hurricane, Florida, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, United States, New York City, North America’s, Canada, Venezuela, Panama, Baltimore, New Orleans, Texas, North Carolina, Historic New Orleans, Fort Meyers

☆ 25% of Gen Zers say they'll need a therapist to deal with tax filing stress—here's the first step to take to make it easier
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Annie Probert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

You will receive a W-2 form from your employer if you worked for a paycheck or earned at least $600 in 2023. You can find the 1099-INT form by logging into your bank account and following directions to tax documents. But even if you don't get a form from your exchange, "that doesn't mean you don't need to report it," says Pianoforte. The IRS's frequently asked questions on crypto transactions is also helpful for answering more detailed questions about how to report crypto on your taxes. Form 1098-TIf you're paying college tuition, a 1098-T form will help determine which education-related tax credits you're eligible for.

Persons: doesn't, Pianoforte, filers, Read, haven't, you've, Douglas Boneparth Organizations: Internal Revenue Service, NEC, cryptocurrency, CNBC, Bone

☆ I got deactivated from the Walmart Spark app after I got in a car accident. I wasn't even working when it happened.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Business Insider has verified Youngblood's identity and former work for Spark. That's when I got a "pre-adverse action" email from Spark, which had found out after running a background check. If you're going to deactivate somebody, you need to say what the grounds are. If I was delivering for Spark and I caused an accident, I would not fight it at all. Walmart doesn't insure me or my car or anything, so they can't claim that I'm going to cost them more going forward.

Persons: —, Adrian Youngblood, Walmart's, I've, that's Organizations: Service, Business, Walmart Locations: an Ohio

☆ Uber: Taxi drivers in Australia win $179 million from ride-sharing giant
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Uber will pay more than 8,000 taxi and hire car drivers in Australia almost 272 million Australian dollars ($179 million) in compensation for losses they suffered after the ride-sharing giant entered the country in 2012, lawyers representing the drivers said Monday. It has also made “significant contributions to various state-level taxi compensation schemes” in Australia since 2018, according to the company. Uber now teams up with taxi drivers in many countries. “This caused loss of income to authorized taxi drivers and operators, and hire car operators. In a statement on its website, Uber Australia said ride-sharing regulations did not exist anywhere in the world when it launched more than a decade ago.

Persons: London CNN — Uber, Maurice Blackburn, Uber, ” Maurice Blackburn, “, ” Uber, —, ”, Elizabeth O’Shea, Letitia James, Lyft, Dhruv Tikekar Organizations: London CNN, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, New York Locations: Australia, — Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, United States, United Kingdom, York

☆ I quit delivering for apps like DoorDash to build my own 200-driver business. It's rewarding but tough.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In 2019, Urias-Roy and her husband started URATX, a delivery service based in Austin that uses independent contractors for large food deliveries, such as catering orders. The problem these stores had was that they were getting a lot of business orders, but drivers weren't equipped to handle it. That basically allowed me to start a delivery business instead of working as a contractor for the big apps or local delivery services. It's lower now though because we recently lost our biggest partnership with a major catering delivery company. AdvertisementAnd so the best thing about it is that I don't have drivers confronting restaurants about tips, I don't have drivers confronting clients begging for tips.

Persons: Moumita Urias, Roy, URATX, we've, we're, there's Organizations: Service, Business, Amazon Flex Locations: Austin, Urias, Canada, we're, Texas, Arizona, Russian

☆ Lyft and Uber to cease operations in Minneapolis after new minimum wage law
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Lyft and Uber will stop offering services in Minneapolis on May 1 after the city council overrode the mayor’s veto of a minimum wage for rideshare drivers. The city council on Thursday voted 10-3 in favor of the override, allowing rideshare drivers to be paid the local minimum wage of $15.57 an hour. “Everyone wants to see Uber and Lyft drivers get paid more. However, the analysis Frey referred to showed lower numbers — $0.89 per mile and $0.49 per minute — to make minimum wage. Minneapolis is debating the minimum wage as gig workers across the country are advocating for fair wages and job benefits.

Persons: New York CNN — Lyft, Uber, Lyft, ”, it’s “, Jacob Frey, ” Frey, Frey, Tim Walz, ” Lyft, – CNN’s Jennifer Henderson, Ramishah Maruf Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, Twin, WCCO, Minnesota Gov, Democrat, Uber, New York City Locations: New York, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Minnesota, California

☆ Uber and Lyft are threatening to leave Minneapolis over a ride-hailing proposal supporters say would guarantee drivers earn the city's minimum wage
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The conversation around ride-hailing driver pay has been heating up across the country over the past year. AdvertisementLoren Balazs, a full-time driver in Minneapolis, told BI he's worried the city council's proposal would hurt his ride-hailing business. The study estimated that a minimum pay rate of $1.21 per mile and $0.49 per minute would guarantee drivers earned the city's minimum wage. AdvertisementThe debate over minimum pay for ride-hailing drivers has been building in Minneapolis for over a year. Tim Walz vetoed a bill that would have established minimum pay standards for Uber and Lyft drivers.

Persons: —, Erin Hatton, Jacob Frey, Lyft, Lyft haven't, Uber, behemoths wouldn't, aren't, Axios, Alexandrea Ravenelle, Sergio Avedian, Guy, Austin, Avedian, Joe Pierce, he'd, Loren Balazs, Sheri Wegner, they'll, Mayor Frey, Tim Walz Organizations: Service, Business, University at Buffalo, Minneapolis City Council, Minneapolis, New, Seattle, Minnesota, University of North, Star Tribune, Minnesota Gov, Uber, Minneapolis City Locations: Minneapolis, Minneapolis ? Minnesota, New York City , Washington, California, Chicago and Massachusetts, Washington, Seattle, Minneapolis . Washington, Alexandrea, University of North Carolina, Minnesota, Twin Cities

☆ Gig workers face a savings crisis for retirement
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Alex Bitter | Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementSome gig work services are offering a perk usually associated with traditional jobs: retirement savings accounts with matching contributions. Alexandrea Ravenelle, an assistant professor in sociology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, told BI she would like to see gig workers classified as employees of the platforms, not independent workers. Ravenelle said a better plan would be for companies to extend similar types of retirement benefits to gig workers as employees of those companies enjoy. The Robinhood program also offers gig workers on these platforms access to free financial counseling through GreenPath Financial Wellness, a nonprofit. AdvertisementSergio Avedian, a Los Angeles-based industry advocate for gig workers who drives for an app himself, often encourages gig workers to set aside money for retirement.

Persons: Robinhood, —, Alexandrea, Hill, Ravenelle, Robinhood —, Doordash, Morgan Courtney, Courtney, Taskrabbit, Steve Quirk, they'll, Quirk, Sergio Avedian Organizations: Service, University of North, Financial, Workers Locations: University of North Carolina, Los Angeles, Idaho

☆ You can now file your taxes directly to the IRS for free — if you live in 1 of these 12 states
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The IRS' much-anticipated free tax filing software is now online. Direct File is in a pilot phase and available for "simple" tax returns for 2023. For now, the tool is limited to taxpayers who lived in one of 12 states last year. The much-anticipated Internal Revenue Service software — aptly named Direct File — opened as of Wednesday in a pilot phase ahead of its wider public launch in mid-March. While it's free to sign up, there is a catch: to file using the tool, taxpayers must have been a resident of one of 12 states for all of 2023 and not have income from any other state.

Persons: —, Taylor Swift, aren't Organizations: IRS, Service, Revenue Service, Arizona California Florida Massachusetts Nevada New Hampshire New, Account Locations: Arizona California Florida Massachusetts Nevada New Hampshire, Arizona California Florida Massachusetts Nevada New Hampshire New York South Dakota Tennessee Texas Washington Wyoming, Arizona , California , Massachusetts, New York

☆ An Uber and Lyft driver strike may force you to find another way home from the airport on Valentine's Day
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Uber and Lyft drivers are planning a midday strike at some US airports on Wednesday. It's part of a broader strike to draw attention to gig workers' pay and issues like deactivations. AdvertisementGood luck if you're hoping to get an Uber or Lyft on your way home from the airport on Valentine's Day. "These types of events have rarely had any impact on trips, prices, or driver availability, and we expect the same tomorrow," an Uber spokesperson told Business Insider. It's also common for gig workers to have their accounts deactivated without explanation by the companies they work for.

Persons: Chicago's, —, Lyft, DoorDash Organizations: Newark Liberty, Chicago's O'Hare, Service, App Workers, Newark Liberty International Airport, Chicago's, Uber, Walmart Locations: New York City, Austin , Texas, Hartford , Connecticut, Miami, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania, Providence , Rhode Island, Tampa , Florida, New York, Seattle

☆ 3 in-demand freelance jobs that you can do from home—one can pay $500 for a few hours of work
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In addition to AI services, here are three of the most in-demand freelance services for 2024, according to Fiverr, including what professionals on the platform are charging for them. Two kinds of video editing have seen "huge demand" as of late, according to Hornung: AI video editing and social media video editing. Between January and July 2023, searches for AI video editors increased by more than 625% on Fiverr. Video editing for short-form content is another in-demand skill. Social media managers and specialists charge at least $150 per project.

Persons: Yoav Hornung, Hornung, Fiverr Organizations: CNBC, Social Locations: U.S, Upwork, Mobile

☆ 3 in-demand freelance jobs that you can do from home—one can pay $500 an hour
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In addition to AI services, here are three of the most in-demand freelance services for 2024, according to Fiverr, including what professionals on the platform are charging for them. Two kinds of video editing have seen "huge demand" as of late, according to Hornung: AI video editing and social media video editing. Between January and July 2023, searches for AI video editors increased by more than 625% on Fiverr. Video editors on Fiverr typically charge at least $100 per hour. Social media managers and specialists charge at least $150 per hour.

Persons: Yoav Hornung, Hornung, Fiverr Organizations: CNBC, Social Locations: U.S, Upwork

☆ Opinion | Protecting the Rights of Independent Contractors
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To the Editor:Re “The ‘Gig’ Label Is Being Used to Exploit Workers,” by Terri Gerstein (Opinion guest essay, Jan. 29):We are the freelance writers and editors Ms. Gerstein mentioned who are suing the Department of Labor over the independent contractor rule that will, as she said, “make it harder for employers to treat workers as independent contractors rather than employees.” So let us explain. The independent contractor rule is just the latest in the Biden administration’s ongoing freelance-busting assault on our rights to be in business for ourselves. Like the vast majority of independent contractors in America, we choose self-employment. This rule, slated to take effect on March 11, will restrict our right to engage in business contracts with our clients on our own terms. We hope the district court will invalidate the rule and protect our careers.

Persons: Terri Gerstein, Jan, Gerstein Organizations: Department of Labor, Department, Labor, Biden Locations: America

☆ Walmart offered to pay Spark drivers as little as 52 cents per order after a 'temporary' app issue
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Walmart offered some Spark drivers as little as 52 cents to deliver orders to customers' homes. AdvertisementWalmart offered to pay some Spark delivery drivers as little as 52 cents to deliver groceries and other merchandise from its stores to customers' doorsteps after "a temporary issue" in its app. A screenshot from the Spark app shows an offer that pays 52 cents. But some Spark drivers have reported being shut out by the feature despite using accounts in their own names. Do you work for Walmart Spark, Instacart, DoorDash, or another gig delivery service and have a story idea to share?

Persons: — Organizations: Walmart, Service, Business, Pay, Georgia Spark Locations: Texas, New Mexico, Georgia

☆ DoorDash raises fees for NYC deliveries after warning that a new minimum wage law would hit customers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Jordan Hart | Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

DoorDash followed through with its claim that delivery orders in New York City would be hit with increased fees. All customers placing orders in New York City will start seeing that fee on Friday in response to new minimum wage rules in the city, a DoorDash spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider. DoorDash warned customers that fees would increase due to these rules. Referring to the Regulatory Response Fee in Seattle, DoorDash said in a statement on January 13 that it helped "cover the costs of these new regulations. AdvertisementUber Eats has added similar fees to orders in New York and Seattle with the advent of those cities' laws.

Persons: DoorDash, Uber, we're, abitter@businessinsider.com Organizations: Business, Seattle, Target, Workers, Walmart Locations: New York, New York City, Seattle, Instacart

☆ Instacart wants to turn grocery shopping into 'Pokémon GO' to get you to buy more using smart carts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Instacart is trying to gamify grocery shopping with its Caper smart carts, an executive said. AdvertisementInstacart is trying to get you to buy more at the grocery store when you use one of its screen-equipped shopping carts — by turning shopping into a game. The company's Caper carts can show shoppers ads or discounts for products based on their buying habits, Instacart has said. McIntosh told Grocery Dive that customers spend around 30 minutes in front of the cart's screen during a visit. "We really believe that it's going to be the future of grocery shopping," CEO Fidji Simo told Bloomberg at the time.

Persons: Instacart, —, David McIntosh, McIntosh, financials Instacart, Fidji Simo Organizations: Service, Connected, Bloomberg

☆ TurboTax Can No Longer Advertise Products as Free, F.T.C. Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Rebecca Carballo | More About Rebecca Carballo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Federal regulators have ruled that Intuit, the maker of the tax-filing software TurboTax, must stop marketing its services as free, unless they are free to everyone or exceptions are clearly disclosed. TurboTax had for years claimed customers could file their taxes online for free. The Federal Trade Commission said in an opinion and final order issued on Monday that its advertising was deceptive because two-thirds of taxpayers were not eligible to file with the free product. The commission also found that the company’s attempts to disclose that not everybody qualified for free services were “ineffective and often inconspicuous.”Examples of ineligible taxpayers include those claiming mortgage and property deductions, charitable donations over $300, unemployment income, investment income, rental property income and certain education expenses. Gig workers who reported income as independent contractors, including many delivery drivers, were also ineligible.

Persons: TurboTax Organizations: Intuit, Federal Trade Commission

☆ Labor Department's new independent contractor rule could help workers recover lost wages—here's how
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Independent workers make up about 45% of the U.S. workforce, according to a 2023 report by MBO Partners, a platform dedicated to their needs. That's more than 72 million Americans altogether, with nearly 30 million of them working independently full-time. This misclassification could lead to a loss in income, ineligibility for state and federal unemployment systems and so on. Nearly 10% of independent contractors make less than $7.25 per hour, according to the National Employment Law Project. A new rule change under the Fair Labor Standards Act, set to take effect on March 11, is aimed at curbing this misclassification.

Persons: Sally Dworak, Fisher, Samantha Sanders Organizations: MBO Partners, National Employment Law, Economic, Institute, Fair Labor Locations: NELP

☆ Why is your grocery delivery taking so long? Your driver has 2 other deliveries.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Delivery apps like Instacart and Walmart Spark often 'batch' orders together. Drivers have a choice, companies sayBatches have been part of Instacart's strategy for "several years," a company spokesperson told BI. Advertisement"Some customers get angry wondering why it's taking so long," the Alabama driver said. Customers give drivers low ratings and pull away tips as a result, the driver told Insider. AdvertisementDo you work for Instacart, Spark, or another delivery service and have a story idea to share?

Persons: —, they'll, Instacart, Uber, commenter Organizations: Walmart, Service, Drivers, Alabama, FedEx, UPS, SEC Locations: Alabama, North Carolina, New York City, Queens, Brooklyn

☆ Nearly 40% of workers like their jobs enough to turn down a promotion, a new report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Amsterdam-based Randstad's annual Workmonitor report, released Wednesday for 2024, found that 39% of workers don't want to be promoted because they like their current jobs. Related stories"This means people's motivation at work is not necessarily just driven by promotions," Randstad CEO Sander van 't Noordende told Business Insider. "They must also realize that career progression and maintaining a healthy personal life are intertwined and need to be balanced."

Persons: —, Sander van, Gen, van, Noordende Organizations: Service, Business, Employers Locations: Amsterdam, Europe, Asia Pacific, Americas

☆ Walmart wants to use AI to restock your fridge automatically
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Walmart is starting to use AI to figure out how often you order groceries and order them for delivery. The service will soon be part of Walmart's InHome delivery, according to its presentation at CES. Walmart customers can set up deliveries of essentials at regular intervals, a service the big box chain started offering last year. The company started offering InHome delivery in 2019. Spark's gig delivery workers aren't allowed to enter customers' homes, a point of confusion for Walmart customers who think Spark contractors make InHome deliveries.

Persons: —, Whitney Pegden, Walmart InHome, Pegden Organizations: Walmart, Service, Consumer Locations: Las Vegas

☆ Most delivery gig work workers won't be impacted by the new fed rule — yet
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But gig delivery companies like DoorDash and Instacart say they don't plan to make any changes. AdvertisementIf you make deliveries as a gig worker, don't expect any changes from a new federal rule — at least, not immediately. But companies that rely on gig workers to make deliveries say they won't need to make any changes. Amazon, which employs gig workers through its Flex delivery arm, did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment. Do you work for Instacart, DoorDash, Walmart Spark, Uber Eats, or another gig delivery service and have a story idea to share?

Persons: —, Julie Su, Uber, Loyola University Chicago Professor Peter Norlander, I'm, Norlander Organizations: Service, Department of Labor, Labor, Department, Flex, Loyola University Chicago Professor, Wall Street, Walmart Locations: DoorDash

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