Uber has pledged to make it easier for California drivers to get sick pay if they contract the coronavirus. Thus, the company is changing its COVID-19 sick pay policy after a lawsuit by some of its drivers.
The ride-hailing company informed its drivers in California that they’ll get $360 calculated as three 8-hour workdays at $15 an hour if they are diagnosed with COVID-19, have experienced symptoms, or believe they were exposed to the virus.
Uber plans to offer financial assistance to drivers with preexisting health conditions that make them vulnerable to COVID-19, including being above the age of 60. The drivers will also not need a doctor’s note or documentation to get the financial assistance.
The lawyer representing the drivers who sued, Shannon Liss-Riordan, confirmed the change to Bloomberg. Liss-Riordan is also involved in lawsuits that will make it harder for companies like Uber to claim their workers are independent contractors. They will instead have to classify them as full-time employees with entitlements to full workplace rights.
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Liss-Riordan says the sick pay is the first step in her years-long battle.
“Now we can focus on proceeding to seek a ruling in court that Uber is continuing to misclassify its drivers as independent contractors, and deprive them of other labor code protections, in obvious violation of California law,” she said in an email.
Uber has also confirmed the new sick pay policy to its California drivers in a blog post.
The ride-hailing firm said:
“In these uncertain times, we are taking steps to provide you with the resources that we hope will help you continue to work safely if you choose. And to take the time you need to if you’re unable to work because of COVID-19 health concerns.”
Under the new policy, drivers cannot drive for the three days in which they receive the sick pay. They can, however, take rides again on the app after certifying that they no longer have coronavirus symptoms.
However, Uber requires drivers to have driven for a certain number of hours over a period to be eligible.
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