Thousands of ride-hailing and delivery workers in the U.S. and the U.K. went on strike on Valentine’s Day, calling for higher pay and other changes to their working conditions. In the U.S., Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. drivers planned day-long strikes and held mid-day demonstrations at airports in several cities, including Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, […]
In a bid to improve working conditions for people who deliver food and offer rides through smartphone apps, the European Union gave provisional approval Wednesday to rules that determine who should get the benefits of full-time employees and restrict the way online platforms use algorithms to manage their workers. The European Parliament and the EU’s […]
A bill that would amend U.S. labour law to establish a new classification for gig workers could also deny them the right to a minimum wage and other employment protections. The Worker Flexibility and Choice Act would change the Fair Labor Standards Act so ’employee’ doesn’t include anyone who’s entered into a worker-flexibility agreement, such […]
Whether they’re delivering takeout, chauffeuring passengers, or fixing leaky sinks, most gig workers in Canada don’t get benefits. Classified as independent contractors rather than employees, they’re excluded from employer contributions to Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance, they may not be protected under worker’s compensation and they can’t participate in tax-advantaged benefits programs like registered […]
Ontario is eyeing a new system to provide “portable benefits” for workers in the gig economy, retail and hospitality sectors who don’t currently have health, dental or vision coverage. Under the plan, workers would be able to keep their benefits even if they change jobs, said the province in a press release. If the plan […]
A new report by the Ontario government’s advisory committee on the future of work is recommending the introduction of a new portable benefits program. The Ontario Workforce Recovery Advisory Committee, which delivered its interim report this summer, set out 21 recommendations, including supporting workers who fall outside the purview of traditional benefits programs. The report […]
Uber Technologies Inc. is revealing more details of a labour model it’s pitching to Canadian provinces and territories, a model that’s drawn opposition from some worker groups. The Flexible Work+ model the San Francisco-based tech giant has pushed since March asks provinces and territories to force Uber and other app-based companies to create a self-directed […]
A judge is striking down a California ballot measure that exempted Uber and other app-based ride-hailing and delivery services from a state law requiring drivers to be classified as employees eligible for benefits and job protections. On Aug. 20, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch ruled that Proposition 22 was unconstitutional. Voters approved the measure […]
Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice has certified a class-action lawsuit against Uber Technologies Inc., which advances a fight to get some of the platform’s Canadian couriers and drivers recognized as employees. The class action was certified by Judge Justin Paul Perell in a decision released late Thursday afternoon and stems from a court filing made […]
While 74 per cent of Canadian employees said their optimism about the workplace remains unchanged from before the coronavirus pandemic, the ongoing crisis has affected several aspects of employment including work-life balance, according to a new survey by ADP Inc. The survey found 46 per cent of respondents have been forced to make a choice, […]