Hey, delivery drivers, who’s got your back during COVID-19? The answer should be all of us
If delivery drivers aren’t near the top of your list of unsung heroes during this coronavirus crisis, we suggest you reconsider.
Not only are these essential workers keeping the economy churning during a near-national shutdown, they’ve made the “stay at home” mandate bearable by delivering to our doorstep everything from mail to meals.
But this great convenience comes at a cost. One local UPS driver told a member of our Editorial Board that since Gov. Jay Inslee issued his stay-home mandate March 23, he and his fellow drivers have been delivering upwards of 250 packages a day and working 60 hours per week.
In terms of delivery load, “It’s like a mini-Christmas,” said the driver, who wished to remain anonymous.
People order all kinds of gadgets and gizmos to help them while away time in confinement. One driver sent us an email complaining he had to deliver a full set of golf clubs. And the morning we spoke with the UPS driver, he said he’d already delivered “boat parts and a trampoline.”
And, yeah, they were heavy.
Don’t get us wrong, we love to hear the economy humming along, however faint that sound may be. Certainly our collective prosperity depends on purchases of big-ticket items that aren’t necessarily needed for survival. But we also have to consider the folks schlepping up steps and long driveways to deliver them.
It helped that Amazon suspended all non-essential products from being shipped until April 15. But have no fear, the company will continue to ship medical supplies and household staples.
The driver we spoke with reported being well-compensated for his job but said he understands why some comrades are requesting hazard pay. As he noted, delivery drivers touch a lot of doors, gates and packages and worry about being infected by COVID-19.
Though the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains there’s little risk of contracting the virus from a package, drivers who deliver those goods report working in vans not routinely cleaned by professionals. Many have to provide their own protective gear.
And when it comes to sick pay, health insurance or even job security, most of these drivers are on their own. Those working for companies like Uber, Lyft, Postmates, Grubhub, DoorDash and Instacart are classified as independent contractors.
In the “eat what you kill” gig-economy, there’s no such thing as sick pay.
Gig workers and contingent employees are among the most vulnerable during this global crisis, both financially and health-wise. Unlike other workers on the frontlines, if delivery drivers get sick, they’re ineligible for unemployment benefits.
But there is hope: Washington is one of three states offering a family and medical leave benefit if an illness or injury prevents a self-employed worker from earning money.
And when Congress adopted the recent CARES Act, a COVID-19 relief package that includes a refundable tax credit to make up for lost income, elected leaders didn’t forget the gig economy; Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, was among those who fought to extend unemployment benefits for independent contractors.
Speaking on the Senate floor the junior senator from Washington said, “It is important to give people a safety net to make it through this process.”
Cantwell’s office told us that the Small Business Administration and the Treasury Department were also working on ways to expand eligibility for small business support under the Paycheck Protection Program to include independent contractors.
It’s good to know politicians are looking out for workers who put themselves at risk to look out for us.
Now, if only people would stop ordering golf clubs they won’t be able to use for awhile.
When it comes to special deliveries, think small, folks. Think small. And when you have a chance, tip your drivers well.