Rapid grocery delivery player Gopuff is set to shift the disparate delivery riders’ work status in different cities to one employment model.
The US company entered the UK market last year after it acquired Dija and Fancy.
Its British head of operation Alberto Menolascina said “it now must harmonise” as the acquisition of the two firms led to Gopuff inheriting two different models for delivery riders and the way they work.
“We had two companies coming together, Fancy and Dija, they were both acquired by Gopuff and we have two different employment statuses”, he said to Forbes.
READ MORE: Tesco one-hour rapid delivery service expands to London and Bristol
“In London, with Dija, we classified our riders as workers and then in the UK regions, they are ICs [independent contractors].
“We constantly talk to our drivers and we’re going to figure out over time what’s the right formula.”
The “worker” status of its London riders means that they are entitled to a minimum wage and holiday pay.
Employment status has been a fraught issue in the food delivery sector. Many have opted for employing their riders or providing permanent contracts.
Last year, Gorillas came under fire after its workers filed complaints about working conditions which turned into strikes, protests and blockades outside the company’s warehouse in Berlin.
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