Some Uber drivers say they've had a hard time getting paid sick leave from the ride-hailing company.
Uber's paid leave policy for drivers with COVID-19 symptoms
has been an evolving process. After going through several iterations over the
past two months, the ride-hailing company said Thursday it's adding additional financial support
for California drivers.
The move comes after Uber was sued by drivers for allegedly
failing to provide adequate sick leave during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Uber and the drivers came to a resolution in the lawsuit, which was first reported by Bloomberg and was confirmed to CNET by the
drivers' attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan.
The company has agreed to pay $360 -- calculated as three
8-hour workdays at $15 an hour -- to all drivers who've been diagnosed with
COVID-19 had symptoms of the disease or believe they were exposed to the
virus. Uber is also offering financial assistance to drivers with
preexisting health conditions that make them susceptible to COVID-19, including
being over the age of 60.
Unlike previous versions of Uber's policy, drivers don't
need a doctor's note or documentation to get the pay.
"In these uncertain times, we are taking steps to
provide you with the resources that we hope will help you continue to work
safely if you choose," Uber wrote in a blog post directed at California drivers. "And to
take the time you need to if you're unable to work because of COVID-19 health
concerns."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends
employers offer workers paid sick leave if they're exposed to or
infected with COVID-19. Public health officials say this is crucial in stopping
people from continuing to work and exposing others to the virus. Without
financial assistance, some drivers say they feel forced
to work even if they're sick because they can't afford to.
Ride-hail drivers are classified as
independent contractors and lack the benefits, such as mandated
sick leave, that employees get. The crux of the drivers' lawsuit against Uber
boils down to worker classification and the fact that ride-hail
drivers don't have a safety net, something that's been amplified
during the coronavirus pandemic. Liss-Riordan has filed a similar lawsuit
against Lyft.
"We are pleased to have obtained some sick
pay for California Uber drivers," Liss-Riordan said in an email. "Now
we can focus on proceeding to seek a ruling in court that Uber is continuing to
misclassify its drivers as independent contractors."
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