In context: Many people would love to be their own boss and work their own hours; at a pace that makes sense to them. As companies like Uber, Doordash, and Amazon have risen to power, several jobs have popped up that promise just that: an opportunity for workers to set their own schedule as they drive around the city ferrying food, people, or deliveries from door to door.
Unfortunately, while it may seem like the perfect job on the surface, there are a few drawbacks to working for these sorts of companies. Recently, it's come to light that some gig-based companies have been utilizing somewhat shady tactics to skimp out on paying their freelancers appropriately.
Amazon, in particular, has reportedly been counting customer tips toward their Flex drivers' hourly wages – this worked out okay for top earners who rake in the most tips (which would usually push their hourly wage past the minimum), but for others, the situation was less than ideal. For some drivers, it made the pursuit of tips a somewhat pointless practice.
Moving forward, Amazon will be ending this practice. Instead, it will offer its drivers "at least" $15-$19 per hour, in addition to any tips they may earn for themselves. Not only will this benefit drivers, but it could also benefit customers: extra money should lead to happier, more polite drivers, after all.
To reflect these changes, Amazon is making some small tweaks to the way earnings are presented to Flex drivers. Now, it'll be much more clear how much of their revenue comes from their "base" pay, and how much comes from customer tips.
Lead image credit: Money