Weeks after on-demand grocery start-up, Instacart promised its shoppers it would get them protective kits, the kits are still yet to arrive for many according to a report by Wired.
Orders have surged to an all-time high recently as it’s about 350,000 shoppers deliver essentials to American households. The job itself puts those workers at an increased risk of contracting the coronavirus. Some of Instacart’s shoppers have even described their work environment as a “war zone.”
The shoppers had in March 2020, staged a strike to demand sick leave, hazard pay, and basic disinfection supplies. Instacart rejected some demands but agreed to provide its shoppers with complimentary “health and safety kits” on 2nd April 2020.
Each kit was to contain a reusable cloth face mask, a bottle of hand sanitizer, and a forehead thermometer. The shoppers would also receive only one kit.
Two weeks on, the protective kits still haven’t arrived. The shoppers lamented to Wired about a complicated process required to request kits. They also said that Instacart had not properly communicated about how to place an order. It had also failed to tell them when or if, the company would be sending the supplies at all.
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A spokesperson for Instacart told The Verge:
“Our teams have proactively secured personal protective equipment for the Instacart shopper community including health and safety kits of face masks and thermometers, as well as worked with a third-party to manufacture hand sanitizer.
“We began shipping these items over the last two weeks and are moving quickly to get them in the hands of Instacart shoppers.”
In addition, some shoppers who have started receiving their protective kits, took to social media to express displeasure at the package.
One Twitter user posted the hilarious reaction to one shopper’s post on Facebook after receiving their protective kit.
Today’s the first day some Instacart workers are receiving their PPE kits (masks, hand sanitizer and thermometer) and the reactions are priceless pic.twitter.com/7Cnf08G2X5
— Sarah Clarke #deleteinstacart (@Sarah___Clarke) April 18, 2020
Despite the staged one-day strike on 30th March 2020 to protest their working conditions, some continued to work. This was because they felt it was an act of service or just needed the pay.
Also, last month the company planned to hire 300,000 new shoppers due to the surge in demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. It remains to be seen how Instacart will manage its internal crisis.
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