People seem to forget that "professional driver" is an actual job available for close to a century now if you really wanted a full-time position. Uber already works with FTE drivers at higher tiers like Lux and Black.
All of the drivers I've asked over 1000's of rides have said they prefer the freedom and flexibility to work on their own time. Yes they want more money, but not at the cost of the flexibility. They already have day jobs, or are students, retirees, business owners, etc, and are making extra income with an opportunity that wouldn't otherwise exist.
Perhaps the tiny handful of people who are suing to become employees should just go out and become employees instead of trying to change the rules for everyone else.
All of the drivers I've asked
over 1000's of rides
I have had the same experience (with far fewer rides) but I'm sceptical about how reliable it is given the driver is incentivised to give me an enjoyable ride. Same as a waiter who hates his job will make more in tips by putting on a smile.
The almost always have a day job or some other obligation. The only ones that could even do it full time would be the retirees but they specifically don’t want to.
There’s also the economics of oversupply. It’s easy low skill flex work so there will be a lot of competition.
Try asking what they think of the quantity of Money they make and they won’t stop complaining that it isn’t what it used to be, or it is barely more than maintenance fees.
Yeah, I keep seeing these articles get posted and it makes no sense. Most drivers seem to want to have the freedom and flexibility to choose when they work. That absolutely makes them contractors.
The only argument to be made here potentially is that some of the gamified rewards incentives to keep driving might be questionable and make the relationship more employer/employee-like.
Only if your employer has 50 or more full time employees and you work more than 30 hours per week. Also, the employer doesn’t provide healthcare, they simply have to offer access to health insurance that covers 60% of your expected healthcare costs, but the employer is free to only pay for 30% or 50% or whatever share of the insurance premium, and leave rest for employee as long as sufficient numbers of employees sign up to prevent the non discrimination testing from failing.
In summary, I would say being an employee in the US most certainly does not imply you will have access to healthcare.
It kind of reminds me a lot of the discussion of fast food jobs and raising the minimum wage. On the one hand, yeah, it sucks if you're trying to support a family of four on 7.25/hour. But at the same time, its great as a summer job for a teenager who wants some extra spending money. Same with Uber, its great for college students wanting to make extra money at night but don't want to be stuck in a strict schedule or for someone who wants to make some money on the side for a vacation fund, but probably sucks as a full-time job.
I'm not advocating that we tell the full-timers "tough luck" by any means, I just think it is important to keep in mind when these topics come up that unlike some industries, the workforce isn't necessarily uniformly filled with employees seeking a "job" job with full benefits and the works, and in fact the business model of the company may rely on this. Doesn't make the suffering of the employees who are trying to make a go at it any less valid, but it does give a fuller view of the situation.
Why does "freedom and flexibility to work on their own time" have anything to do with whether they are employees of the company or not? Both can easily be true together.
If you’re an employee then you’ll be driving at least 8 hours a day with a shift start and end time and no choice on rides or location. That’s not very flexible.
Why wouldn't they? There's a minimum of 30 hours per week and overtime starts at over 40 hours, and sometimes after 8 hours in a day. Therefore the outcome will be 40 hours worked, but with shift times matched to predicted driver demand. Either way, there is no flexibility.
Having a driving job is the opposite of what the vast majority of drivers actually want.
All of the drivers I've asked over 1000's of rides have said they prefer the freedom and flexibility to work on their own time. Yes they want more money, but not at the cost of the flexibility. They already have day jobs, or are students, retirees, business owners, etc, and are making extra income with an opportunity that wouldn't otherwise exist.
Perhaps the tiny handful of people who are suing to become employees should just go out and become employees instead of trying to change the rules for everyone else.