What are the real choices confronting gig workers as they consider their employment options in the post-pandemic world?

As the push to get America back to work begins, employers are lamenting that no one wants to work any more. Low-wage industries in particular are struggling to fill positions amid a record high number of job openings, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

To counter this, employers such as Uber and Lyft are trying to incentivize drivers with promises of bonuses, while more than 18 states are opting to cut extended unemployment benefits early, citing government relief as a disincentive to work.

Both strategies fundamentally miss the point... One of our key learnings is that unemployment benefits have not disincentivized work but given gig workers the space to refuse the vagaries and indignities of the gig labor market. “We are less desperate,” one worker said, “but the companies need desperate people to work for them.”

Gig workers are now simply asking for a fair and equal system that does not separate worker needs from human needs.

One of these needs is fair compensation for their work. The flood of promotions that Uber and Lyft are sending out is doing little to convince drivers that a stable, well-paying job awaits...

To add to the uncertainty, drivers feel they cannot fully trust Uber and Lyft’s messaging – the companies have a history of baiting drivers with wage guarantees...

Elsewhere, gig workers are assessing the health risks of “a return to normal”. Omar, a ride-hail driver in Florida, said though he was vaccinated, he was nervous about Uber removing its mask requirements...

The pandemic magnified many aspects of gig work that have always been unsustainable. We can no longer be sending workers every day into such an adversarial workplace. Longer-term solutions are needed that respond to worker needs on their return: a wage that rewards their effort, a transparent and reliable pay scale, and company policies that don’t treat them as dispensable.