Above I finally was able to transfer from clipboard to this site on my phone. Rob
Above I finally was able to transfer from clipboard to this site on my phone. Rob
I found this website, which explained how they classify employees vs independent contractors and it seems pretty cut-and-dried. I am clearly an independent contractor. I would imagine that a Lyft or Uber driver would also fit pretty neatly into the contract status, but I'm not sure about that. I don't think this bill is going to cause all the disruption that the Youtube guy was predicting--skyrocketing credit card debt, increased unemployment rates, etc.
I'm not worried about me, or my clients having to reassign me.
"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
www.silententry.wordpress.com
YouTube guy wouldn’t get the clicks, likes and subscribes if he didn’t predict that the sky was falling. So of course he predicts that the sky will fall due to this.
Looks like Uber and Lyft are saying they will leave Minneapolis May 1st due to an ordinance that would force them to pay drivers more. There are often consequences when politicians decide they are smarter than markets.Originally Posted by catherine
I wonder what’s different about the Minneapolis law compared to California’s. California’s was supported by both the drivers and Uber/lyft.
I'm not sure what's in the Minneapolis law but I'm pretty sure an appeals court reversed California's attempt to have all gig workers classified as employees, at least as it affects certain industries. I'm pretty sure Uber/Lyft drivers in California are correctly identified as contractors. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
"Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein
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The definition of "gig worker" means you don't want to be under anyone's thumb. I would agree with the CA appeals court. The only complaint I've heard from Lyft/Uber drivers during the time when I was taking a lot of them is that they over time they reduced the drivers' share. IOW, they used to take a small booking fee and a 20% commission, but over time they have raised that commission to 30% in some cases. I saw one screenshot on Quora that showed that Uber took 55% of the fee. The ride was $121 and the driver got 65. It seems that the average driver makes about $20/hour, but I'm sure that doesn't account for the gas and wear and tear on the car.
If the companies are starting to inch their profit up over time at the expense of the drivers, that sucks, and just another example of how labor loses out. But I don't think reclassifying them is the answer. To LDAHL's point, a third company that takes less commission or pays drivers more might help, until that third company sneaks in the "opportunity" to take more from the drivers.
I'm very split on this issue, but I still don't like reclassifying gig workers.
ETA: I forgot most people tip drivers, so that undoubtedly raises their hourly rate. I have always subscribed to the "tip with cash" protocol, and that's probably a good practice with drivers.
"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
www.silententry.wordpress.com
They are. And maybe that’s the key difference. Despite being gig workers though, they get minimum wage, a health insurance stipend, workers comp insurance, and a mileage stipend.
I see that tomorrow California starts a $20 minimum wage for fast food workers, but just for franchises with more than 60 locations.
It seems easier to target specific groups than the job classification systems. What it will do for the price of Big Macs and the level of employment of covered workers remains to be seen.
And the most horrible of evil horrors, California also mandates that all workers except rare exceptions such as airline flight crews get 5 paid sick days per year.
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