Food delivery apps like Uber Eats and GrubHub may be putting their delivery workers at risk. A new academic study carried out by a team of CUNY researchers found that app-based delivery workers in NYC face high rates of injury and assault, particularly those who rely on this work as their main income.
According to the findings, which were based on a 2021 survey, more than one in five food delivery app workers reported being injured while on the job. Respondents who said that delivery work was their primary or only job were about 61% more likely to report being injured and 36% more likely to report an assault.
The study also argues that one of the driving factors in these incidents is the algorithmic management on food service apps, as they are programmed to incentivize workers to take risks and rush to deliver orders, and are not always reliable.
“Evidence suggests that work-related factors, such as time pressure, high job demands, piece rate pay, and schedule irregularity increase the risk of occupational injuries by contributing to stress, fatigue, anger, and risk-taking behaviors,” the study’s introduction reads.
The findings also highlighted the need for protective labor regulations for delivery workers and more accountability on the behalf of app-based food service companies that rely on the workers .
“They’re not creating an environment in which a worker feels safe and secure in their job, so they can make better decisions to protect their own safety. Their own safety is maybe their last concern,” said Zoey Laskaris, the lead author and an occupational epidemiologist.
In response to the study’s assertions, several app-based food service companies have claimed that they are fair to their employees.
In a public statement, Patricia Burke, a spokesperson for Grubhub, said the company allows “adequate time” for workers to deliver orders, and if a worker feels they “cannot safely complete a delivery, they can decline the offer without penalty.”
A spokesperson for Uber said the company has taken several steps to protect drivers and delivery workers, including GPS tracking and expanded road safety education.
Yet the study argues that many of the people who work for these apps are in a position where they feel economic pressure to meet the demands placed on them, resulting in scenarios where they could get hurt.
