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Stories Tagged as

Gig workers

COVID & Unemployment

Big jump in unemployment benefit claims from gig workers

by Erika Beras
Jan 21, 2021
More people are relying on gig work, which puts a lot of risk on the workers themselves.
An Uber driver participates in a car rally calling for basic employment rights in August 2020 in Los Angeles.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
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New rule lets companies treat some employees as gig workers

by Samantha Fields
Jan 7, 2021
Usually there are lots of benefits and protections that come with being an employee instead of a gig worker, like being paid the minimum wage.
An Uber Eats delivery worker rides an electric scooter in Manhattan in 2020.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
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Elections 2020

Gig companies throw lots of cash -- and tech -- at California ballot measure

by Sam Harnett
Oct 26, 2020
The ballot initiative in California would allow companies like Uber and Lyft to keep classifying workers as contractors.
A ride-share driver holds up a sign urging Californians to vote "no" on Prop 22 in Oakland, California, on Oct. 9, 2020.
Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images
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Federal rule on gig workers proposed, narrowing definition of employee

by Meghan McCarty Carino
Sep 25, 2020
When your work is a gig instead of a job, you have fewer protections and benefits.
Air travelers wait in the ride-hailing lot at Los Angeles International Airport in August.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
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Reimagining the Economy

The gig economy and how workers might win it back

by David Brancaccio , Erika Soderstrom and Alex Schroeder
Aug 31, 2020
One way to rethink the "sharing economy" involves setting up co-ops on apps.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
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COVID & Unemployment

California court to rule on gig worker classification

by Meghan McCarty Carino
Aug 5, 2020
The issue has big implications for workers' access to safety net benefits that have become crucial during the pandemic.
A driver takes part in a caravan protest against Uber and Lyft in Los Angeles. For many ride-share drivers, unemployment insurance and other benefits are major issues.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
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COVID & Unemployment

Gig workers worry about losing federal jobless benefits

by Mitchell Hartman
Jul 23, 2020
If the $600-a-week pandemic payment disappears, many may have trouble covering their basic expenses.
Gig workers have received unemployment benefits many would not have been entitled to before pandemic assistance began.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
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Workplace Culture

An algorithm determines gig workers' pay — and they don't like it

by Meghan McCarty Carino
Jul 13, 2020
Gig workers' livelihoods are increasingly ruled by mysterious — and unpredictable — software.
Drivers protest Uber and Lyft pay policies at LAX in 2019.
Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images
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COVID-19

Why some gig workers are getting less in unemployment benefits

by David Brancaccio , Nova Safo and Alex Schroeder
May 14, 2020
They're eligible for assistance due to the pandemic, but a snag in the system may keep them from getting it.
Gig workers have received unemployment benefits many would not have been entitled to before pandemic assistance began.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
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Workplace Culture

"Tip baiting" is just the latest battle over tips among gig workers

by Meghan McCarty Carino
Apr 10, 2020
Gig platforms have long been ambivalent about encouraging tips that many workers depend on.
An Uber Eats delivery worker on March 19 in New York City.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
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