It was the end of 2014. I needed some money but I didn’t want to have a regular job. I am the kind of person who doesn’t want to have a full-time job, with a boss looking over my shoulder and an alarm clock controlling my life.
At that time I heard of the Uber app. I read as much as I was able to. I went to their office to ask questions, and after about two months of research, I decided to become an Uber driver.
- I bought a used car for about $5,000
- I went to the police to get a certification that I was not a criminal
- I went to the government automobile agency to get a certification that I was not a bad driver
- I got the car inspected to prove that it was safe, and
- I took an Uber training exam to prove that I had enough personal skills to treat a client with politeness.
A week later I was an Uber driver.
The experience was very positive. I choose my own hours, Generally, I would only work when there was a surcharge, which was every morning when everyone wanted to get to work by 9 am. The whole Uber fleet was never enough to meet the demand and the compensation was always increased.
Imagine you told your boss you only wanted to work the overtime time hours (at a higher compensation) and not the regular paid hours. That was my situation.
I treated my passenger with politeness and respect and many of them gave me tips.
I never felt that Uber was taking advantage of me. If at any time I would have been given the option to be considered a regular employee, I would have declined. The attractive thing for me was the flexibility of my work schedule.
I got some of my friends to drive for Uber as well.
One friend only wanted to drive nights. Another friend only wanted to work on weekends. Another needed money and he wanted to work as many hours as possible. We had some control over our lives and would not have changed it to become regular full-time employees.
Eventually, we all moved on. Let’s face it, driving is not the most inspiring job. However, for a job where you don’t need any degree other than your driver’s license, and where you don’t have any major responsibility, it’s an amazing job.
How much was I earning?
I was earning about $30/hour. If I include all my expenses, my real earnings where about $25/hour. When compared to regular jobs with a boss micromanaging me, with a set schedule, with high responsibility, and with education requirements in one thing or the other, I felt that I was being well compensated.
Remember, the reason for this high hourly rate is that I was only working the hours that were being offered at a higher rate. I was only working about 20 hours per week. If I had worked more hours, my average hourly rate would have decreased. For example, on a weekday, at about 10:00 am, after most people got to work, not too many people were asking for rides, and thus most drivers were not making any money.
I don’t understand the backlash against Uber and other gig economy employers
There has been a lot of backlash against Uber and other gig economy work. There are people demanding to be classified as full-time workers.
Here is my take. If you want a full-time job, and be considered as a full-time employee, look for an employer who is offering that kind of work.
People complain about the lack of overtime pay, sick leave, and unemployment benefits.
I think those critiques are unfounded. As I mention, an Uber driver can choose to work only the hours that are being paid at a higher rate. In the mornings, from 8 am to 10 am, the pay is almost always times two. If it snows or rain, the rate could be times three or times four. I always worked on the night of the new year because the rate was times five. On the night of the new year, I would drive from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am and earn about $500.
Those trying to help, they are not helping
There are many groups trying to help the “poor” gig economy worker by treating them like babies.
When I was an Uber driver, I used to take part of my pay and put it into my retirement account, my emergency fund (aka unemployment and sick leave account). I behaved like an adult and I took care of my own affairs. I don’t need a corporation, acting like a grown-up parent and taking deductions from my pay for something that I can do on my own, much better.
I know someone in California who used to be an internet English teacher. She was working part-time, as a gig worker. Well, now because of the new law in California, which is forcing her employer to reclassify her as an employee, she lost her job. The employer simply got gig workers from other states and from other countries such as Canada. She got nothing and the state now has one more unemployed person to help.
Many argue that Uber is a multi-million dollar company and could afford to pay more
Yes, that’s true, Uber is a multi-million dollar company. Unfortunately, it hasn’t had a profit yet. Uber is subsidizing each ride with venture capital. In the end, the big winners are the consumers and the drivers who appreciate the flexibility.
Others argue the Uber is taking advantage of workers who don’t have any other choice. Well, isn’t it nice that when a worker has no other choice, they can turn to Uber?
For my part, the knowledge that if ever I am going through a financial crisis, all I have to do is to get my vehicle inspected and reactivate my Uber account is extremely reassuring.
The battle against Uber and other gig employers is mostly envy
An Uber driver is way better off than a taxi driver. Yet, I never hard labor defenders talk about taxi drivers.
Taxi drivers earn much less than Uber drivers, but no politician took the local taxi company to court for lack of overtime pay, or any other employment benefit. No one really cared. But as soon as those drivers became Uber drivers, then all of a sudden it’s a huge labor offense.
If those labor defenders really cared about labor conditions, they would have said something about the practices of the taxi industry decades ago.
Conclusion
I am extremely grateful to the Uber company for the two years in which they allowed me to make a living by using the app. I never felt exploited. In fact, I think I did quite well doing a job in which my only qualification was to be polite and to know how to drive.
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