"The sun feels like it’s burning our skin’: NYC delivery drivers talk about surviving the gig economy in extreme heat", 12 July, 2024

... “From an acute perspective, you deal with heat exhaustion or fatigue, and many people need to stop working. But if you’re a gig worker, you can’t stop working.” [said Cascade Tuholske, a geographer at Montana State University] ...

Being a gig worker, whether that means picking up orders on a bike or dashing in-and-out of stores, means there’s often little reprieve from the sweltering temps...

...New York City Council mandated a pay hike for gig companies last year. After much legal back-and-forth, the apps now have to pay workers a minimum wage per hour, or the equivalent if they choose to pay per delivery trip. But the companies haven’t been happy with these changes, since they’re fighting to turn a profit, and many say it’s harder to log in and work as much as they used to be able to...

Some gig giants have indeed taken steps to protect workers.

DoorDash, the leading food delivery platform, said that it has a range of actions it can take Including proactively sending safety tips (like staying hydrated and cool), switching to customer pick-up only, or even suspending service. They stressed that Dashers, which is what they call their gig workers, are ultimately in control of how and when they work. They can take breaks or choose not to work all together. 

A Grubhub spokesperson made similar comments in a statement to Fast Company. “We won’t hesitate to pause orders in a market and follow guidance from local officials if the temperature becomes dangerously high,” the spokesperson said, adding that gig workers can decline orders without penalty.

An Uber Eats spokesperson didn’t respond to a request for comment...

[One gig worker said:]

“Back when I had started doing deliveries, if it was really hot or if the weather was really bad, I could take that time off and start work a couple of hours later,” Pun said. “But now, because of the conditions in New York with lockouts, I have to work when I get the chance. If that means working in extreme weather, then that’s what I have to do and figure out ways to cope.”

...Ultimately, advocacy groups are calling on the gig platforms to provide more support for workers via benefits like sick pay or insurance. They also want the gig companies to give the option for customers to tip back in the checkout tab, rather than waiting for the delivery to be completed...