With today’s economy, good benefits are hard to find – especially if you’re a gig worker. It’s pretty rare to find the kind of insurance, perks, and investment opportunities that often come with full-time jobs. But if you know where to look, you can discover excellent gigs that do offer benefits, even to 1099 contractors like you.
In this post, we examine the kinds of benefits and perks you can get from some of the most well-known gig companies, which we hope helps you find the gig that offers you more of what you want. Here’s what we’ll cover:
- What gig workers want
- What most gig companies offer
- Comparing company extras
- Grassdoor: The Uber of Cannabis with great gig driver benefits
What gig workers want
We hear it over and over again: Flexibility is the most popular perk of being a gig driver. You can choose your own hours, switch from one kind of delivery to a different one, move over to rideshare, and even hold down another part-time job. You can also make time to fulfill family duties and be present for friends when they need you most.
The pay is also pretty great for most driving gigs. In many areas, the hourly rate is much higher than minimum wage, and with tips and bonuses added in, it’s not too hard to make a decent living.
All these positive aspects of gig work make it appealing to those who don’t want to be stuck doing a minimum wage job in solid eight-hour shifts. The downside becomes glaringly obvious, though, when we take a look at gig driver benefits.
Health insurance, disability coverage, unemployment compensation, and investment opportunities such as an IRA or 401k are not typically part of the plan when you stick with gig work.
The struggle for better treatment is real and ongoing; gig workers try to organize, and state governments try to get the companies to give them employee status. The companies fight back, and wind up offering compromises that still leave contract workers holding the bag. They might get some of the benefits of being employees, but it’s rare that a gig company lets drivers experience the same security a full-time job gives full-fledged employees.
What most gig companies offer
The short answer to what most gig companies provide in terms of benefits is, “as little as possible.” The passage of Proposition 22 in California requires companies to pay minimum benefits to drivers, and to offer guarantees for their minimum compensation.
Yet even with Prop 22 in place, the average gig company falls short of offering full employee benefits. For the most part, they try to get away with bare minimum insurance requirements and incentive-based bonuses – which make more money for them, as well.
The issue of rideshare and delivery driver benefits continues to fuel controversy, but not all companies try to wiggle out of an obligation to their workers. It’s rare, but it is possible to find a company that provides benefits most 1099 contractors can only dream of.
Comparing company extras
The gig driver’s dilemma is simple: How do you hold onto the flexibility of gig work without giving up the benefits you know you need? Let’s look at some of the offerings gig companies have for drivers, and discover where you can find the best possible solution.
Grassdoor. This cannabis delivery service gives drivers a solid balance between flexibility and great benefits. You can work full-time or part-time, choose your shifts, and collect real benefits, including medical insurance, a 401k plan, employee discounts, holiday pay, and paid time off. With Grassdoor, you don’t have the hassle of handling big, heavy bags or awkward packages, and you don’t have to deal with unruly passengers.
Instacart. Lugging those bags and running around stores looking for the right items to fill them is a big part of this job. You can also work as an in-store shopper, which is the only way to get benefits. For these workers, Instacart offers a Health Savings Account (HSA), some other insurance options (life and accidental death, and 401k savings plans. Regular shoppers and drivers can earn bonuses and incentives, but no benefits.
Shipt. Shipt shoppers don’t get employee benefits, but the company does lay the perks on pretty thick. They get COVID-19 assistance, free Shipt delivery, discounts on auto equipment and services, and even discounts on entertainment such as AT&T and DirecTV services. There are also deals with companies that provide minimal health coverage, and those that help with preparing taxes.
Uber and Lyft. Both of these rideshare and delivery giants give drivers the bare minimum required by law. In California, that’s governed by Prop 22, which falls short of truly supporting workers with a safety net of benefits. Incentives are based on driver performance, demand for service, and points earned from the number of rides and deliveries completed, which is similar to how DoorDash driver rewards work. There are discounts on roadside assistance, auto maintenance, and other items that keep drivers on the road and the cash coming in … for them and for their companies.
UPS drivers get more benefits than many drivers; what they gain in perks, however, they lose in flexibility. While UPS truck drivers and private vehicle drivers are all employees, and thus get full employee benefits, they can’t choose their hours and must be out for at least 5 1/2 hours at a time. This is also a demanding job – you get a big load of packages and a cramped time slot to get them to their rightful owners. Most UPS drivers report that job stress is on the high side.
Gig drivers strive to find the right combination of reasonable work challenges and good pay, while they try to balance flexibility and good benefits. Although every company has a different set of incentives and safety net support for their workers, we think one really stands out, especially for drivers who cover their territory in SoCal.
Grassdoor: The “Uber of Cannabis”
Finding the right combination of flexibility and security is not easy – but one company can satisfy both sides of the equation. Grassdoor set out to be the Uber of Cannabis, and it has become the fastest, safest, friendliest, freshest, stickiest, and most affordable of them all.
For Grassdoor drivers, things are much sweeter than they’ve ever been at Uber. With Grassdoor, you choose your own hours and have a flexible gig, but get great benefits, too. Here are some of the fabulous perks of delivering Grassdoor weed:
- Earn up to $45/hour, including mileage reimbursement, bonuses, tips, and overtime;
- Get paid weekly;
- Receive a $1,000 sign-on bonus;
- Get guaranteed working hours;
- Work 2–5 full shifts per week, either in a part-time or full-time capacity;
- Secure employee benefits, including medical insurance, 401k, employee discounts, holiday pay, and paid time off;
- Collect maximum mileage reimbursement – and keep 100% of your tips;
- Choose morning, afternoon, weekday, and/or weekend shifts;
- Work full- or part-time;
- Work independently;
- Have room for upward mobility;
- Make a difference in your community;
- Bring a smile to a whole bunch of happy customers every day.
If you want the best balance of flexibility, job security, and benefits, why wouldn’t you want to drive for Grassdoor? You know you do, so…
