But it also means companies are largely able to avoid offering unemployment, health care or sick pay to workers. That classification gives gig workers a greater degree of flexibility than most other workers, who can set their own work schedules. The pandemic has shown the absence of a safety net for gig workers and has brought renewed public scrutiny to the technology-enabled gig economy, in which companies such as Uber, Shipt, Instacart, Lyft and others classify workers as independent contractors rather than employees. “If I get sick, I’m not going to be covered, and nobody is paying my bills.” “I’m trying to decide if I want to continue to work as hard because I know that every time I set foot in a grocery store, I’m increasing the likelihood that I will get sick,” said one Shipt shopper who also requested anonymity so her Shipt account would not be deactivated. And with no sick leave, workers said they’ve had to choose between their livelihood and the public’s health and their own. The more one works to meet the demand, the greater the risk of getting sick. Those grocery shoppers and delivery drivers receive virtually no benefits, and each day face an elevated risk of contracting the virus. With many San Antonians hunkered down, complying the city’s restrictive stay-at-home orders, gig workers are on overdrive trying to meet the flood of restaurant deliveries and grocery store shopping orders. “I need to make money, and I’m going to put that aside.” It could be, but the fact is that I’m out there, I’m shopping for people’s items,” said one San Antonio Instacart shopper who asked to remain anonymous. “I’ve been that way for the past week - with just a cough. It’s most likely not COVID-19, but you know you should stay home, just in case.īut what if you can’t stay home and still pay the bills? You wake up with a scratchy throat and a tight chest, but otherwise you feel OK. Robin Jerstad, San Antonio Express-News / Contributor Show More Show Less Many of those are gig wokers for Instacart, Favor, and Shipt who have no employee benefits yet risk contraction the Covid-19 virus by frequenting heavily-traveled stores. People stand in line waiting for the H-E-B at 2118 Fredericksburg Rd. Robin Jerstad, San Antonio Express-News / Contributor Show More Show Less 7 of7 Robin Jerstad, San Antonio Express-News / Contributor Show More Show Less 6 of7 Robin Jerstad, San Antonio Express-News / Contributor Show More Show Less 5 of7 Robin Jerstad, San Antonio Express-News / Contributor Show More Show Less 4 of7 Robin Jerstad, San Antonio Express-News / Contributor Show More Show Less 3 of7 Robin Jerstad, San Antonio Express-News / Contributor Show More Show Less 2 of7
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