IPSE welcomes Uber's new and improved partner driver benefits
- 14 Aug 2017
Today’s announcement that Uber has rolled out additional benefits is another welcome incentive for their partner drivers who now have even more control over their working practices.
In April - in our continued mission to best represent the diverse and growing nature of self-employment - we announced a ground-breaking partnership with UK drivers using the Uber app.
Today marks an exciting extension of those endeavours to provide more security and benefits without hindering the freedom and autonomy they so value.
In short, Uber have now introduced:
- In-app tipping services
- Paid waiting time for riders arriving late to pick-up point
- Two-minute cancellations fees – down from current five minutes
- ‘No thanks’ button to decline rides
- Driver control to set destination and arrival time preferences
- More control over trip requests
- Fairer rating systems that remove things out of their hands.
These incentives, which will come into effect in the next few weeks, provide further evidence that Uber is committed to providing a fairer deal for their partner drivers with benefits that both establish and protect the freedom, control and autonomy that makes self-employment so attractive. Taxi drivers in general have long been self-employed, and drivers using the Uber app are no different.
We believe the gig economy is a very positive development, both for the people working within it and the UK economy generally. The recently published Taylor Review investigated the changing nature of work and set out to answer the following question: how can it can be improved to benefit everyone working within it?
It is positive, therefore, to see Uber improving their platform by introducing these benefits to help reduce the inherent risks of self-employment without damaging the flexibility that so many drivers cite as their primary reason for working in this fashion.
With Uber introducing these improvements based on extensive feedback and consultations with their self-employed partner drivers, today really is a step in the right direction.
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