and Shipt have offered bonuses that depend
on the amount or type of orders completed,
but workers who have staged walkouts are
demanding hazard pay of $5 per order.
Those considering gig work should do their
research. Does the company offer a guaranteed
minimum per order? Does that guaranteed
minimum include tips? Does the app default to
a certain tip percentage?
Payment systems are also subject
to change, often without warning
for workers.
Some Shipt workers don’t like a new pay
structure being tested in some markets that
takes into account the time and distance it
takes to complete an order and other factors.
Willis Solis, a worker who helped stage a walk-
out last week, said the original system is more
transparent, with a $5 minimum per order
plus 7.5% of the order amount. Solis said the
new system often results is lower pay for larger
orders, but Shipt says it allows shoppers to
maximize earnings. Both systems allow workers
to keep 100% of tips.
HAVE THE JOBS BECOME MORE
DIFFICULT DURING THE PANDEMIC?
Yes, especially for gig shoppers. Workers must
stand in long lines to enter many stores because
of distancing rules. Panic shopping and higher
demand has sometimes cleared shelves of
essentials, making it almost impossible for
shoppers to meet efficiency goals for speed and
order accuracy.
Some companies have temporarily eased their
performance standards for workers. Shipt and