Many employees across the country have adjusted to working from home. Whether they are still teleworking or have returned to the office, they have new hopes and expectations when it comes to their employers. The biggest expectations are better payouts and more flexibility with working hours and telework options moving forward. Some employees have even taken time during the pandemic to go back to school, change jobs or fields, or take a break from work completely for their mental health.
Unsurprisingly, drivers are also reconsidering their options. Some workers have been frustrated with their payout, even with the higher rates that rideshare companies have been charging customers. “When I started driving, I was guaranteed 80% of the fare,” driver Nicole Moore told CNBC. “If that’s where we were right now, you would see a very different equation on the road. Drivers are seeing 20, 30, 40% of the fare at times.” With many drivers struggling to make a living, some have stepped away from the rideshare business to find more lucrative work. Some have found themselves taking office jobs or driving exclusively for food-delivery companies like Grubhub or DoorDash.
Lyft and Uber Are Offering More Incentives to Attract Drivers
Uber and Lyft did not expect the lack of drivers to be a long-term challenge. However, with the driver shortage continuing, it appears that it’s something they’ll have to contend with for the foreseeable. Not only are they dealing with pandemic-related safety concerns, but these companies have also struggled to compete with more appealing gigs — like food delivery — or, for a time, the safer option of collecting federal pandemic unemployment benefits.
And, of course, Uber, Lyft and others have actively worked against workers’ rights, finding ways to skirt around providing minimum wage pay and/or health benefits. Needless to say, rideshare companies are now exploring incentives to get drivers back on the road.
Uber, for example, is considering funding education and career-building programs, according to The Wall Street Journal. Meanwhile, Lyft is also exploring ways to reduce drivers’ expenses with incentives like one-time signing bonuses for new drivers or cash perks for completing certain additional trips. However, short-term incentives, though nice to try to attract new drivers, may not be sustainable for the companies — or enough to keep drivers on board. Lyft, Uber, and companies across industries will have to rethink their standard benefits, and the way they treat their employees, if they hope to offer the same level of quality customer experience found in the pre-pandemic world.