Q&A
Deactivations and app access issues for delivery workers
0:32:58
·
142 sec
Deputy Commissioner Elizabeth Wagoner explains the issues surrounding deactivations and app access for delivery workers. The discussion covers various practices that affect workers' ability to access work through delivery apps.
- Deactivation typically means a worker is cut off from accessing the app and cannot receive trip offers
- Other issues include restricted access to work hours and preferential scheduling
- Workers may be penalized for factors beyond their control, such as delivery times affected by traffic conditions
- While mass deactivations have not been observed, there is a shift towards more restrictive scheduling practices
- The department is monitoring these issues and their impact on workers
Sandy Nurse
0:32:58
So there have been a number of reports from delivery workers about deactivations from third party food delivery service platforms.
0:33:06
And can you just lay out for for the public, you know, what is deactivation?
0:33:10
And how, you know, what are you seeing in terms of increases around this practice?
0:33:16
You know, are you investigating it?
0:33:18
And, how do you determine if deactivation consider is considered retaliation?
Vilda Vera Mayuga
0:33:26
I'm just gonna have our deputy commissioner to give you the details on that issue.
Elizabeth Wagoner
0:33:31
So what we hear from workers, are are about a number of different practices related to not being able to access the app.
0:33:41
You know, deactivation, that what that usually means is the worker is is cut off from accessing the app altogether and cannot, get trip offers.
0:33:53
We also see, other problems though with accessing work hours, such as not getting preferential access to schedules, you know, because of something that wasn't the workers' fault, like not delivering an order quickly enough, where, you know, from the workers' experience, it might have been unsafe to, you know, weave in and out of traffic to get the order there on time.
0:34:18
And so, you know, I think we we are concerned about, both of those types of things, which are related to each other, workers being able to get enough hours, not being penalized for things that weren't their fault.
Sandy Nurse
0:34:34
And you think and you have you seen that as you've started implementing the laws that we've passed recently, this is growing?
0:34:41
This is a growing practice.
Elizabeth Wagoner
0:34:46
We are not seeing, you know, mass deactivations, which obviously was something that apps said would happen.
0:34:52
That is not something we've seen.
0:34:54
You know, we are seeing a shift towards apps moving towards scheduling.
0:35:00
Some apps were doing that before the minimum pay rate went into effect.
0:35:05
More apps are doing it now.
0:35:07
And with scheduling practices do come some, more restrictions on app access.
0:35:15
And we are hearing from the workers about about that issue.
Sandy Nurse
0:35:19
Thank you so much.
