Caviar delivery service to offer free accident insurance. Here’s what that means for couriers
It's a significant move, at the very least, symbolically, for an employer in the so-called on-demand gig economy: Caviar appears to be the first of its "tech start-up" cohort -- think
Caviar, which is run by a publicly traded
"Simply, we feel that providing insurance to protect couriers while they're actively delivering with Caviar is the right thing to do," said Square spokesperson
Avendano's death, however, has loomed large in
>> READ MORE: After Caviar courier's death, what about gig workers' rights?
The accident insurance, offered through a company called OneBeacon that brands itself as the "market leader in providing occupational injury products to transportation and gig economy companies," includes:
-- Up to
--
-- Disability at 50 percent of a worker's average weekly earnings across all on-demand platforms, like
The insurance only covers accidents that happen while a courier is on a delivery, not while the courier just has the app on. All couriers will automatically get the coverage, Dally said. It's still unclear if workers can opt out. Previously, couriers were not covered by any insurance though the company required couriers who used their car or scooter to get vehicle insurance.
>> READ MORE: How incentives in the gig economy put workers at risk
Dally could not share how much the insurance would cost the company but said "we see minimal impact on our costs."
It's worth noting that these kinds of benefits are not always easy to claim after an accident.
"Just because you have insurance, doesn't mean you're not going to have a fight on your hands," said
If you think you're too injured to work, for example, that's not enough. The insurance company must also agree.
Some have also raised concerns about
>> READ MORE:
Might providing insurance make a case against being able to classify workers as independent contractors? It's not clear. Insurance coverage is an indication of employee status, said
Either way, Caviar couriers were cheered by the news. One suggested that it would make Caviar a more competitive option in a crowded online delivery landscape.
"If they offered a group health insurance, I could leave my day job," said the 45-year-old courier, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of her day job finding out.
>> READ MORE: Rittenhouse stabbing exposes how gig workers take safety into their own hands
Another longtime courier,
Avendano's best friend,
Ciccariello-Maher sees the insurance offering as a victory of the "organized movement" fighting for gig workers' rights.
Still, he said: "We must keep the pressure up until all demands are met."
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