The B.C. government is proposing new employment standards for gig workers with ride-hailing and food delivery apps, including a minimum wage, tip protection and workers' compensation coverage.
The proposed amendments to the Employment Standards Act and the Workers Compensation Act are meant to ensure that workers who take gigs through online platforms are treated like employees,
according to a press release from the province.
"The workers who appear at the touch of a button to drive us home or deliver our dinner deserve to be treated fairly," Labour Minister Harry Bains said in the release.
"That's why we're taking action to address the problems that the workers themselves raised."
Provincial estimates put the number of ride-hailing drivers in B.C. at about 11,000, along with 27,000 food-delivery workers.
The government says gig economy workers have said they value the flexibility of this kind of work, but they struggle with low or unpredictable wages and being cut off from the job without warning.
The proposed plan includes a minimum earnings standard for engaged time at 120 per cent of minimum wage before tips — or $20.10 an hour at the current minimum wage of $16.75. The rate is higher
because engaged time would not include the time spent waiting for the next ride or delivery.
App companies would be responsible for topping up the difference if a worker's earnings don't meet the minimum standards.
