NEW
YORK, April 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --
A study published Monday in the Journal of Urban Health by a
team of CUNY researchers finds that food delivery gig workers in
New York City face a high risk of
injury and assault, particularly those dependent on gig work as
their main job. The study analyzes data from a survey of 1,650
delivery workers, collected between October and December 2021 by the New York City Department of
Consumer and Worker Protection.
Alarmingly, about 22% reported experiencing injuries, and 21%
reported assaults while on the job, with those using e-bikes or
mopeds more than twice as likely to be injured or assaulted
compared to those who deliver by car.
Of particular importance was the relationship between dependence
on food delivery work and injuries and assaults. Despite claims by
digital platforms that their workers are mainly delivering food as
a side hustle, over two thirds of survey respondents indicated that
gig work was their main or only source of income, including
a significant number working over 40 hours a week delivering food.
Workers fully dependent on gig work are 61% more likely to
experience injury and 36% more likely to experience assault, than
those who do delivery gig work as a side job. These figures already
account for differences in age, sex, race and ethnicity, language,
length of employment, transportation mode (e-bike, moped, car), and
weekly work hours across the two groups of workers.
"These findings underscore the inherent risks associated with
platform-based delivery work and challenge the notion of gig work
as merely a flexible and supplemental income source," notes lead
author Zoey Laskaris, research
assistant professor at the Barry Commoner Center for Health and the
Environment at Queens College.
"The data show the significant occupational risks faced by fully
dependent food delivery workers, who are likely to come from
racialized minority populations and have limited English
proficiency and make up most of the food delivery workforce," adds
Mustafa Hussein, assistant professor
at CUNY SPH.
"Platforms like DoorDash, UberEats, and GrubHub treat their gig
workforce as independent contractors – even though most do this
work full-time – and so do not have to provide workers compensation
or paid sick leave," says physician and Queens
College Professor Sherry
Baron. "If they were conventional employees, the delivery
companies would have a financial incentive to provide training and
safety equipment and ensure that delivery routes were safe."
"Delivering food on a bicycle in New
York City is inherently dangerous, but being managed by an
AI-powered algorithm likely makes it even riskier, especially for
those most dependent on the work to put food on the table and pay
the rent," observes Nevin Cohen,
CUNY SPH professor and director of the CUNY Urban Food Policy
Institute. "More research is needed to understand the mechanisms
through which dependence on gig work and the pressures imposed by
the AI-controlled platforms increase the risk of injuries and
assaults, and the policies and programs that can improve gig worker
health and safety."
Media Contact:
Barbara Aaron
Barbara.aaron@sph.cuny.edu
About CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health
Policy (CUNY SPH)
The mission of CUNY SPH is to promote and
sustain healthier populations in New York
City and around the world through excellence in education,
research, and service in public health and by advocating for sound
policy and practice to advance social justice and improve health
outcomes for all.
About Queens
College
Queens College enjoys a national
reputation for its liberal arts and sciences and pre-professional
programs. With its graduate and undergraduate degrees, honors
programs, and research and internship opportunities, the college
helps its students realize their potential in countless ways,
assisted by an accessible, award-winning faculty. Located on a
beautiful, 80-acre campus in Flushing, the college has consistently
been cited by Princeton Review as one of America's Best Value
Colleges, as well as being ranked a U.S. News and World
Report Best College and Forbes Magazine Best Value
College thanks to its outstanding academics, generous financial aid
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learn more.
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SOURCE CUNY SPH