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☆ No Tip for Your Delivery Driver? Then Be Prepared to Wait, DoorDash Says.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Christine Hauser | More About Christine Hauser | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The pressure on customers to add a tip, which DoorDash addressed in a statement on Wednesday, was the company’s latest effort to make changes to its app amid concerns about the rights of gig workers and fair pay for delivery people. In June, DoorDash announced it would give delivery drivers the option to be paid an hourly minimum wage, which would vary by region, instead of earning money for each delivery. DoorDash started its tip pilot earlier this year in some cities in the United States and Canada, and might expand it nationwide, the company said. She said that Dashers, the nickname for the independent gig workers who pick up and deliver food and other goods for DoorDash, keep the tips that they make. It is now appearing for randomly chosen users in several cities in the United States and Canada, DoorDash said.

Persons: DoorDash, “, ” Jenn Rosenberg, Dashers, Tipping Locations: United States, Canada

☆ A 70-year-old Uber driver explains how canceling over 30% of his rides and only driving during busy periods have helped boost his pay
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementBill, a part-time Uber driver , began driving for extra income after he retired six years ago. As a result, he's driving less and accepting fewer rides than he used to. Bill said that the standard, non-surge pay rate calculated by Uber in his area is $0.61 per mile. But there are more drivers now: Uber reported that its number of drivers hit a record-high five million in 2022. To avoid one-way rides, Bill asks customers when he picks them up whether their destination is in the area.

Persons: Bill, Uber, He'll, —, he's, He's, I'm, Jacob Zinkula, Scott Olson, they're, Sergio Avedian, Guy Organizations: Service Locations: North Carolina

☆ Walmart Spark delivery drivers are sick of customers asking them to bring deliveries into their homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Walmart Spark drivers often get requests from customers to drop groceries off in their kitchens. Walmart's InHome delivery service, which is staffed by full-time employees, offers kitchen drop-offs. AdvertisementAdvertisementEarlier this year, a Spark delivery driver in Nevada pulled up to a house with a few bags of groceries for delivery. Customers are likely confusing the delivery for another service Walmart offers, InHome Delivery. Spark drivers, by contrast, are gig workers paid per order or batch of orders, and they aren't allowed to go into shoppers' homes.

Persons: —, she's, InHome, Doug McMillon Organizations: Walmart, Service, Workers Locations: Nevada, Miami, Dallas, San Francisco, Texas

☆ Diners love the control tipping gives them over servers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

About 62% of diners say the amount their expected tip "has become too expensive." Yet, diners say they love the "control" tipping gives them. But according to a new survey, consumers love the power that comes with tipping. "Diners report negative feelings about tipping as an idea, but they enjoy the control it gives them. AdvertisementAdvertisement"As tipflation sweeps the US, two-thirds of American diners say too many places are asking for tips these days," the survey reported.

Persons: —, BentoBox Organizations: Service, & ' $

☆ Lonely Instacart and DoorDash gig workers are turning to YouTube influencers to help them feel connected
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Gig workers for Instacart, DoorDash, and other apps tend to have their favorite YouTubers. Two gig workers with followings on YouTube told Insider about how they decide what to talk about. Like many gig workers, Sabo started doing gig work full-time in 2020 as demand for delivery shot up. He also sells tools for new gig workers, such as a spreadsheet to help them calculate their earnings. Some gig workers are quitting the industry, citing falling earning potential on many of the apps and slowing demand for delivery.

Persons: —, hadn't, DashingTrader, DashingTrade, Mike Sabo, Mike, Sabo, he's, it's, I've Organizations: Instacart, YouTube, Service, DoorDash, Uber Locations: DoorDash, California

☆ A baby boomer who's been a delivery driver for 4 years says he values the flexibility — but cautions that the work is becoming harder to get
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A baby boomer who's been a delivery driver for four years may soon call it quits. Barely anyone can get rich off of just doing delivery driving, Scott said, but it's an option for him while he searches for a more stable office position. AdvertisementAdvertisementSince then, he's driven nearly 40,000 miles with personal vehicles for Amazon Flex, which he's had to maintain with his own money. AdvertisementAdvertisement"Amazon Flex delivery partners sign up for delivery blocks that fit their schedule," Steve Kelly, an Amazon spokesperson, told Insider. Amazon Flex delivery partners are encouraged to check the Amazon Flex app throughout the day for available blocks and instant offers."

Persons: —, Scott, it's, he's, He's, Steve Kelly, I've, that's Organizations: Service, Walmart, Amazon Flex, Amazon, Flex Locations: Washington, DC, America

☆ These countries have the most generous retirement plans in the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Portugal ranked at the top for the most financially adequate retirement system according to a new study. The US, however, ranked 24th in adequacy among the 47 countries studied for its retirement system. AdvertisementAdvertisementPortugal, the Netherlands, and Iceland ranked at the top for the most financially adequate retirement systems — while the US ranked 24th. AdvertisementAdvertisementMany Americans have been skeptical of the US's retirement system, funded primarily through savings in 401(k)s and individual retirement accounts, as well as Social Security. Portugal, which ranked at the top of Mercer's list, also ranked second for comfortable retirement on U.S. News & World Report's Best Countries ranking.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, US, Mercer CFA, Global, Security, U.S . News Locations: Portugal, Netherlands, Iceland, Denmark

☆ Meet the typical gig driver: A millennial earning up to $40 per hour who doesn't have another job and depends on your tips
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Gig drivers are likely to be dependent on the job for their main income, and need your tips. Omar FordIf the economy takes a turn for the worse and unemployment rises, the number of gig drivers could increase even further. The typical gig driver earns between $20 and $40 an hourSergio Avedian. The typical Uber driver earns $35 per active — or utilized — hour, the company said in February. In September, four ride-hailing drivers told Insider that they earn between $22 to $40 an hour after expenses.

Persons: —, DoorDash, Lyft, Omar Ford, Uber, he'd, Robert Alexander, Gen Zers —, Sergio Avedian, Guy, doesn't, New York City, they've, Nathaniel Hudson, Hartman Nathaniel Hudson, Hartman, Jeff Hoenig, Avedian Organizations: Service, Morning, Pew, New York Daily News, Tribune, Getty, Bank of America, The New York Times Locations: Los Angeles, New York, New York City Ribeiro, New, South Carolina, Portland

☆ Warehouses Are Calling In the Gig Workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Liz Young | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/warehouses-are-calling-in-the-gig-workers-1357c685

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ How Many Credit Cards Should I Have?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Gerri Detweiler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +17 min

Use this guide to identify what kind of credit card user you are—and how many credit cards you should have. A secured credit card can be a smart option if you don’t have a very good credit score. Most small business credit cards require a good personal credit score and sufficient income from all sources, not just the business. However, many business credit cards don’t appear on consumer credit reports, which means they don’t impact your credit scores as long as you pay on time. Similar to choosing a personal credit card, pick your business credit cards based on your spending habits.

Persons: I’ve, you’ll, you’re, ”, Jeff Richardson, FICO, You’ll, You’re, airfare, — Organizations: VantageScore Solutions, Wells, U.S, Walmart, Amazon.com, Foods, Chase Travel, Amazon Prime, Visa, Amazon, Capital, Hertz, American Express, Card, Chase Locations: U.S, superstores

☆ Walmart Spark Drivers Spend Over an Hour Waiting for Orders in Lots
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Drivers for Walmart's Spark delivery service are waiting an hour or more in parking lots for orders. According to conversations with four Spark drivers, wait times have become an issue for the drivers as the service has grown. The same Walmart associates responsible for Spark orders also bring items out to customers waiting in parking lots. Spark drivers told Insider that the wait times at Walmart make it hard to know which orders are worth taking. In August, Walmart started asking Spark drivers to deliver orders in batches of up to three orders each.

Persons: —, he's, Walmart's, Doug McMillon, Jeff Greenberg, I've, I'm, gabriellew13 Organizations: Service, Walmart, Getty, Costco Locations: Alabama, Nevada, Indiana

☆ Millennial and Gen Z gig workers are earning a lot more than their older peers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Older generations were overrepresented among those earning less than $1,000 per month, given they were much less likely to note that gig work is their primary income source. Among those who use gig work as their primary income source, half are millennials. A working paper from May 2023 found that the number of platform gig workers increased from 1.8 million in 2019 to 4.9 million in 2021, corresponding to a 170% increase. Nearly one in four gig workers have been victimized by fraud or identity theft while using gig platforms — more than double the rate of those not using gig platforms. Given real income is growing, some gig platforms are struggling to attract new workers while keeping services affordable.

Persons: —, Gen Z, Tracey Lazos, Gen, X, Lazos Organizations: Service, Boomers, of Labor, Labor, Survey

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Warby Parker, HP, Point Biopharma and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Co-CEOs Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa of Warby Parker at the New York Stock Exchange on Sept. 29, 2021. Warby Parker — Warby Parker jumped about 4% after Evercore ISI upgraded the eyeglass retailer to an outperform rating, saying shares could rally more than 50% as the company's margins and revenue growth reaccelerate. Eli Lilly , Point Biopharma — Shares of Point Biopharma popped 85% after Eli Lilly announced it would buy the cancer therapy maker for $12.50 a share in cash, or roughly $1.4 billion. Warner Music Group — Warner added 3.5% after UBS upgraded the stock to buy from neutral. Emerson Electric — The industrial giant dipped 1% in premarket trading after UBS downgraded the stock to neutral from buy, citing the company's valuation and limited upside.

Persons: Neil Blumenthal, Dave Gilboa, Warby Parker, Warby Parker — Warby Parker, Eli Lilly, Biopharma, McCormick —, McCormick, Roth MKM, —, Alex Harring, Sarah Min, Michelle Fox, Pia Singh Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, ISI, HP, Bank of America, StreetAccount, Warner Music Group, Warner, UBS, KeyBanc, Emerson

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Meta, Warby Parker, McCormick and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

McCormick spices are displayed on a shelf at a supermarket in San Anselmo, California, on March 28, 2023. Warby Parker — The eyewear maker popped 3.4% after Evercore ISI upgraded shares to outperform from in line. Rivian Automotive — Shares of the electric vehicle maker lost 8.3%, even though Rivian's deliveries topped estimates and showed sustained demand. Earlier in the day, Evercore ISI added a tactical outperform rating on the stock, noting it appears oversold near term. However, Evercore ISI reiterated a long-term in-line rating on Ally and trimmed its 12-month price target.

Persons: McCormick, Warby Parker, Trex, Goldman Sachs, Eli Lilly, Morgan Stanley, KeyBanc, McCormick —, Roth MKM, Alex Harring, Brian Evans, Samantha Subin, Jesse Pound Organizations: ISI, Rivian, EVs, StreetAccount, Meta, Union Facebook Locations: San Anselmo , California, U.S

☆ DoorDash, Instacart, and GrubHub drivers say they're being booted from their delivery jobs without notice — and the services won't tell them why
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Alex Bitter | Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Unexplained deactivations are commonplace for some gig workers, according to accounts from drivers. The agent on the other end approved it, he told Insider, and assured him that it wouldn't negatively affect him. Sudden, unexplained deactivations have become commonplace for workers on gig delivery apps, according to accounts from these workers. Grubhub and DoorDash told Insider that employees determined the deactivations of drivers. Do you work for Instacart, DoorDash, Uber Eats, or another delivery service and have a story idea to share?

Persons: —, Uber, would've, they'd, Steve, Jason Picon, Jason, Grubhub, Michael Loccisano, Instacart, Rikki Nudelman, I've, DoorDash, Nudelman, we're, New York City, Sergio Avedian, Guy, Avedian, Carsten Koall, Uber hadn't Organizations: Service, Grubhub, Santa Barbara, DoorDash, New York Daily News, Tribune, Getty, Walmart Locations: Oregon, Virginia, Texas, California, Central California, Los Angeles, Santa, New York, New York City Ribeiro, New, Seattle, deactivations, Berlin

☆ A millennial who quit teaching to be a full-time Uber and Lyft driver has made $36,000 so far this year — but thinks it's better as a part-time gig
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Aaron Lavender, 36, gave up teaching last year to work as a full-time Uber and Lyft driver. But he said ride-hailing is more profitable and sustainable as a part-time gig. He'd been driving part time for Uber and Lyft since 2021, but last summer, he decided to go full time — driving at least 40 hours a week. AdvertisementAdvertisementBut whether these gigs can be sustainable full-time jobs — or whether they're better kept as side hustles — is up for debate. A 2022 survey of 810 California Uber and Lyft drivers conducted by a ride-hailing advocacy group found that two-thirds of them had been deactivated at least once.

Persons: Aaron Lavender, Uber, Lavender, he's, Aaron Lavender Aaron Lavender, stokes, it's Organizations: Service, Uber, California Uber, didn't, Tesla Locations: Wall, Silicon, Colorado, California

☆ Morgan Stanley says AI and gig work could add $400 billion to the economy by 2030. Here are the 4 buy-rated stocks that will benefit, and the brands that could be challenged.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A survey conducted by the investment bank showed that younger or college-educated respondents believed that generative AI could help alleviate some of these gaps. The survey also showed that AI tools are making gig work more profitable. Those turning to the technology reported a 21% boost in income from using generative AI relative to their peers who didn't use it. Amazon (AMZN) is helping lay the foundation for developers and enterprises to build generative AI applications through its platform Bedrock, accessible through its web services cloud. Below is an extended table that shows the brands Morgan Stanley believes will benefit or be challenged by the intersection of gig work and generative AI.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Gen Z, X, Gen, Morgan Stanley's, they've, Morgan, Keith Weiss, Phillips, Brian Nowak, Gary Yu, Yu Organizations: IBM Locations: Bridgewater, Booking.com

☆ Side hustles could become a $1.4 trillion industry by 2030 thanks to ChatGPT and AI, Morgan Stanley says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

ChatGPT could transform side hustles into a $1.4 trillion industry, according to Morgan Stanley. "Multi-earning has evolved into a secular growth theme, with generative AI the differentiator," strategists said. The bank said generative AI will boost gig workers' income by $83 billion, or 21%, in its base-case scenario, and by $300 billion in its bull-case outcome. Insider has previously reported on how gig workers have used OpenAI's intelligent language tool to plan vacations for clients, make pitch decks for startups, and generate marketing articles. This isn't the first time Morgan Stanley has backed AI to fuel trillions of dollars' worth of economic growth.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Edward Stanley, Leonardo Sousa, ChatGPT Organizations: Service Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Instacart deactivated a shopper, and he nearly lost his home. He battled the company and won $28,000 in back pay.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"I hadn't even appealed because I didn't even know what it was for," Via told Insider. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn arbitration, Instacart unsuccessfully tried to argue that it could disregard the agreement that it asks shoppers to signVia filed a request for arbitration in January 2022. David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty ImagesOnce a shopper requests arbitration proceedings, they must wait 30 days "to resolve the dispute before arbitration commences," Instacart told Insider. But the arbitrator said Via wasn't aware of the extra item until the following day when Instacart deactivated his account. "I can read it and figure out what makes sense and what I can argue and what doesn't make sense," he told Insider.

Persons: Jason Via, I've, that's, Instacart, Via, Aureen Chowdhury, Annie T, David L, Ryan, you've, Uber Organizations: Service, Walmart, Via, Shoppers, Boston Globe, Getty, Instacart, ICA Locations: Wall, Silicon, Instacart, Los Angeles, Washington

☆ Walmart wants associates, not gig workers, to deliver more orders as the retailer struggles to verify the identity of its Spark drivers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It could signal a shift after Walmart spent years recruiting gig workers for its Spark Driver service. "We'll have associates doing more deliveries," Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said Tuesday at a retail conference hosted by Goldman Sachs. AdvertisementAdvertisementWalmart has attracted hundreds of thousands of gig workers to Spark since it started the service in 2018. The number of Spark drivers tripled alone in the year between mid-2022 and mid-2023, according to the post. Other Spark drivers staged a protest in June about bots, or programs that drivers use to claim orders before other people.

Persons: Doug McMillon, DoorDash, We'll, Goldman Sachs, McMillon Organizations: Walmart, Service Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ 4 Uber and Lyft drivers calculated how much they made after expenses. It ranged from $22 to $40 an hour, and an EV, tips, and tax incentives can make a big difference.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

That's not the case for many gig workers, such as Uber and Lyft drivers. But the companies' figures don't account for drivers' vehicle expenses, which take a cut out of their profits. Last year, he earned roughly $12,000 in combined income driving for Uber and Lyft before vehicle expenses, according to both apps' dashboards. Including his Lyft income, he calculated that he earned roughly $27 an hour in 2022 before vehicle expenses. Last year, he earned about $34,000 driving for Uber and Lyft before vehicle expenses, according to his app information.

Persons: That's, Sergio Avedian, Uber, Guy, Lyft, EVs —, Nathaniel Hudson, Hartman, he'd, Bolt, Jeff Hoenig, Gabe Ets, he's, Hokin Organizations: EV, Service, Hudson, Ets Locations: Wall, Silicon, Los Angeles, The Portland , Oregon, Hudson, Myrtle Beach , South Carolina, Oakland , California, San Diego

WASHINGTON (AP) — Online gig work is growing globally, particularly in the developing world, creating an important source of employment for women and young people in poorer countries where jobs are scarce, according to a World Bank report released Thursday. The report estimates the number of global online gig workers at as many as 435 million people and says demand for gig work increased 41% between 2016 and the first quarter of 2023. That boost is generating concern, though, among worker rights advocates about the lack of strong job protections in the gig economy, where people work job to job with little security and few employment rights. While location-based gig services such as Uber, Lyft and TaskRabbit require labor like moving and delivery, online gig assignments can be largely done at home. Roughly half of the surveyed gig workers did not have a retirement plan and as much as 73% of Venezuelan gig workers and 75% of Nigerians did not have any savings for retirement.

Persons: ”, Namita Datta, Sharon Block, Lindsey Cameron, Uber, ” Block Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Bank, World Bank, Harvard Law School’s Center for Labor, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, ”, Pew Locations: U.S, United States, Egypt, Argentina, Nigeria, Russia, China

☆ The generative AI boom should have been Appen's time to shine. Here's what went wrong
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

For Appen, that would mean finding specialists in particular types of information that can bolster generative AI systems. Even before the generative AI transition, wages for Appen's data labelers were a sticking point. Kim Stagg, Appen's vice president of product, said the work required for generative AI services was different than what the company has needed in the past. "With generative AI, we see a different demand." The company's plunging stock price suggests that investors don't see the company's business offerings transferring to the generative AI space.

Persons: Jonathan Raa, Mike Monegan, he'd, Appen, it's, Armughan Ahmad, Mark Brayan, Ahmad, Monegan, he's, Appen's, Helen Johnson, Fab Dolan, Sujatha Sagiraju, Elena Sagunova, Jen Cole, Jukka Korpi, Still, OpenAI's, Google's Bard, didn't, Bard chatbot, Ed Stackhouse, raters, Erik Vogt, Vogt, hadn't, Kim Stagg, we've, Stagg, Lisa Braden, Harder, Canaccord Organizations: Nurphoto, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon, Nvidia, Revenue, CNBC, Australian Securities Exchange, Adobe, U.S . National Labor Relations Board Locations: Seattle, Europe, Middle East, Africa

☆ TikTokers are calling out DoorDashers using others people's accounts. 'You open the door for Ebony, and Ebony actually happens to be Steve, that's not okay!'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Gig workers share accounts on other apps, including Instacart and Walmart's Spark. In many cases, the delivery workers appear to be using accounts set up by friends, partners, or other real people. DoorDash told Insider that it verifies its drivers' identities using a government-issued photo ID card and a selfie that each driver uploads. AdvertisementAdvertisementDoorDash has a "zero-tolerance" policy for users who share accounts with other people, it told Insider. Gig workers share accounts on other delivery apps, too.

Persons: llzklifestyle, Ebony, that's, shamarkanderson, Abby, DoorDash, Uber, Instacart Organizations: Service, Workers, DoorDash, Instacart, Spark, Walmart Locations: Wall, Silicon

SYDNEY, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Australian gig workers will be able to negotiate for minimum pay and conditions under a new law to be introduced next week in parliament by the centre-left Labor government. The law will define "employee-like workers" in the gig economy, a catch-all term including those who deliver food or drive for apps like Uber (UBER.N) or DoorDash (DASH.N). However, the umpire will have discretion to vary standards between workplaces and the laws will not mandate uniform pay or conditions. The issue of how to qualify the legal status of gig economy workers is being debated in many countries. "We welcome the minister confirming his commitment to protect the flexibility gig workers rely on and value, an Uber spokesperson said in a statement.

Persons: Tony Burke, Burke, Uber, Lewis Jackson, Robert Birsel Organizations: SYDNEY, Labor, Thomson Locations: Australia, Canberra

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