Let’s get honest for a moment… as much as we all love the freedom and autonomy that gig work delivers, at the end of the day, we want to get paid! That’s why whenever the opportunity comes knocking (hailing?) our ears perk up.

Naturally, with some of these sensationalized headlines, if it sounds too good to be true it often is. However, there’s a theme emerging in the media, one that if you’ve been in this industry long enough you already know – Gig Workers are important, and deserve more than they are getting. The nuance and complications associated with gig work means that it’s always changing, and that’s where The Gig Life comes in.

We do strive to highlight the stories that count, giving you the power of knowledge so that you can join the movement of Gig Workers asking for a change in the industry., We also hope that it helps you feel less alone out there, knowing that many others are facing the same challenges and frustrations you deal with daily.

With that in mind, we could use your help. Growing our following is the most impactful thing we can do to grow our collective voice and to ultimately make some noise on the issues you care about.

If you haven’t already, we’d love it if you could check out our referral program to spread the word about The Gig Life to your followers… and earn some cool swag while you do it.

Top Headlines

This week's top headlines from the Gig Economy

NYC proposes paying delivery-app workers up to $33 hourly: DoorDash doomsday

Don’t wake up tomorrow expecting your pay to increase if you’re in New York, but the debate is happening again. New York City’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection is proposing new laws that would see delivery-app workers’ pay increase to over $33 /hour for active time on apps. The tradeoff, as usual, is that this could lead to delivery orders going up by $5 to $7 for customers, which may persuade them not to order.

Worker pay increases are always a positive thing in our eyes, but don’t count on this change happening without pushback from delivery apps.

Read Full Article on NY Post

Condoms, fingernails and even a hamster. Uber published 2023 Lost & Found Index

From vibrators and chicken wings to ankle monitors and poodles, this article paints a pretty intriguing picture of The Gig Life.

We’ve spoken to enough of you to not be totally surprised by this list of leave-behinds, but it certainly is a fun read and a little glimpse into the unique personalities that sit in the backs of our cars on a regular basis.

What’s the craziest thing someone has left behind in your car? Can anyone top these items? Send us an email, if it’s interesting enough we might send you a TGL t-shirt.

Read Full Article on USA Today

‘It got me scared’: Delivery workers are on edge after a series of violent attacks raise questions about safety

Customer safety for rideshares is often talked about, however, sometimes missing from the conversation is the safety of the drivers themselves.

In the past few weeks, there have been three distinct violent crimes against gig workers in Florida. If you’ve ever felt unsafe out on your gig, you should know that you’re not alone. In a recent survey, 35% of American gig workers said they have felt unsafe doing their jobs. Be vigilant out there, and never put yourself at risk if something just doesn’t feel right... especially in Florida!

Read Full Article on Fortune

‘Instacart to customers: We’re ready to spill the beans on your shoppers

Instacart now shows customers more information about shoppers, like how often they're on time and how many compliments they've gotten. They'll also know whether the shopper has worked with them before, how many of their orders were delivered on time, and how much time they've saved.

This time, however, it’s not just the customers that benefit – Instacart is also improving the reporting feature for rude customers, and plans to warn or suspend them if necessary, something I think we wish all the apps would do more of.

The company claims the changes are aimed at building a "sense of community", because nothing says community like knowing the first name and star rating of the person who delivers your avocados.

Read Full Article on Winsight Grocery Business

Video Spotlight

Youtuber: Hannibal is Hungry

(Subscribe to his channel here)

The Death of DOORDASH - Why Gig Workers Are Going Back To Traditional Jobs

One of our favorite Youtubers, Hannibal, is back with an insightful video talking about the overall trend of gig workers shifting back to more permanent work. Check out his thoughts on this topic.

Watch on YouTube

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What Should We Cover?

We love to chat with gig workers. Let us know what kind of news and articles are relevant to you so we can help to deliver the content you need.