The Coronavirus Proves That Gig Economy Workers Need To Be Treated Like Employees

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As an Uber and Lyft driver, I can’t imagine the ordeal some of my peers have been going through.

I scroll through the app and see that demand is very low for rides due to the panic about the Coronavirus. I see that it takes much longer to get a ride than normal, that everything is slow. I see that the Coronavirus has taken a heavy toll on profits and the ability of my fellow drivers to pay their bills.

All of this is to show that the Coronavirus highlights a bigger problem. Gig economy workers like Rideshare drivers need a better safety net. Right now, they need a minimum wage.

There is a national conversation raging on about the need for paid sick leave for gig economy workers. Right now, gig economy workers do not get that sick leave. And right now, gig economy workers are suffering from the panic. quarantines, and self-imposed isolation from the Coronavirus.

Right now, a plethora of companies are advising their workers to work from home. The clear correlation of working from home means that people are using significantly fewer rideshare services.

For Uber and Lyft, this means signifcantly less revenue. But it also means that because of the contractor business model of the companies, Uber and Lyft are…