Instacart will provide ‘safety kits’ to Shoppers, still no hazard pay

It’s been three days since Instacart gig workers went on strike to demand better pay, sick leave, and safety measures from the worker-powered grocery delivery company. Instacart has now answered some demands with more health and safety gear — but strikers say it’s still not enough.

On Thursday, Instacart announced that it would be providing the workers who fulfill grocery orders (called “Shoppers”) with “safety kits” that include hand sanitizer, cloth face masks, and a thermometer. Instacart previously announced Monday that it would make hand sanitizer — that it had sourced and manufactured in-house — available to order for Shoppers. 

Shoppers can begin to order the kits next week. Instacart has also rolled out a new Covid-19 online resource center for both customers and shoppers. 

The striking workers, however, have not been placated. In a blog post entitled “Instacart’s Pathetic Attempt to Buy Good PR Neglects Workers,” the workers write: “This is a step in the right direction, but still a far cry from adequate.”

The workers have a few specific concerns. First is the claim that supplies of hand sanitizers ran out quickly, and that it’s not clear how Instacart will be able to source and meet the demand for the safety kits. Instacart told Mashable that it is increasing its inventory and updating its website every day, but did not provide further specifics on quantities.

The workers also say that Instacart has failed to provide adequate sick pay policies, and have not met their demands for hazard pay. Instacart has taken steps on both of these concerns that nevertheless fall short of the workers’ asks. 

Instacart is providing up to two weeks of sick pay for workers diagnosed with covid-19, or those placed on mandatory isolation by a government agency. And while it is also rolling out an accrued sick pay policy generally, there does not appear to be significant coverage for those who need to self isolate for pre-existing conditions or other vulnerabilities. 

The hazard pay ask seems to be another sticking point. The workers are demanding $5 per order in hazard pay. Instacart, instead, is offering bonuses of $2 – $4 per “batch” that a Shopper accepts. A batch is a shopping order that contains multiple orders and deliveries for customers. Instacart also noted that Shoppers can get bonuses of up to $50 for completing several batches during a specific, presumably high volume time frame. 

These efforts fall short in the eyes, and words, of the workers.

“We are still without any sort of hazard pay, without accessible sick leave, without quarantine pay for those with a doctor’s note, and the in-app default tip amount is still not 10%,” the blog post reads. “Even if Instacart manages to get its act together in regards to this promise of PPE, their response is still not enough to properly care for workers.”