85% of Gig Workers Aren’t Afraid to Work During Coronavirus Pandemic

The COVID 19 pandemic is wreaking havoc across the US workforce, however, some 85% of gig workers are not afraid to work according to a survey by PeopleReady. In fact, many want to pitch in to help stop the spread of the virus.

Gig Workers Not Afraid of Coronavirus

The survey found nearly 3 in 4 are ready and willing to take on temporary assignments in cleaning and sanitizing. This is provided the jobs are offering proper protocol and safety gear.

Among those willing to step in, 70% say it would be like any other job as long as safety measures are taken. While 40% say their motivation is to help stop the spread of the virus and 39% saying they want to be paid more.

The survey canvased 2,266 gig workers across regions, industries, and company sizes during the period between March 10 and March 22, 2020.

The news is expected to be a shot in the arm in the effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus. As the nation is currently seeing a critical need for second responders. These are workers who support essential services in communities during times of crisis.

“Our communities need second responders – people who can serve hospitals, restock stores, manufacture essential products, deliver meals, and sanitize schools among other roles. Many people are raising their hands to help as long as the right safety precautions are taken”, said Taryn Owen, President of PeopleReady.

PeopleReady has also stepped up its efforts to fill in the vacuum through its JobStack app. JobStack is helping companies connect with gig workers for essential services around the clock. Currently, it filling a job every 9 seconds. In addition, PeopleReady is providing helpful insights for workers and employers. It is also sharing the results of its latest nationwide survey on working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What Companies Can do During COVID-19

During this difficult time PeopleReady has three suggestions companies need to follow: assess the impact on the business; leverage technology; and clearly communicate health and safety measures.

By assessing whether a business can stay open during stay at home measures companies need to weigh carefully their options. Whether it is in the midst of a ‘shelter in place’ mandate or preparing for one, businesses need to see what measures they have to take to provide essential services.

Second there is a need for companies to look towards technology and local staffing branches to quickly access gig workers. Thirdly companies need to communicate their health and safety measures up front. The rationale being workers want to know they’re protected.

What Workers can do During COVID-19

For gig workers PeopleReady advises them to explore all of their options. This is because opportunities are opening up in cases where there are shelter in place mandates. These jobs may include unloading trucks, filling shelves for grocery stores and pharmacies, packing and delivering goods, cleaning hospital sheets/gowns, sanitizing buildings and others.

Another important issue is for workers to make sure the firm hiring them follows a proper working safety protocol. It advises workers to seek information from their employers about the measures that are in place to protect their health and safety.

Workers will need to distinguish between W2 and 1099 which are both tax forms. Simply put, a 1099-MISC is typically for reporting payments to independent contractors. This means they have to cover their own employment taxes. While a W-2 form, on the other hand, is used for employees in which the employer withholds payroll taxes from their earnings. W-2 employers will offer medical benefits, workman’s compensation and handle taxes.

About PeopleReady

PeopleReady, is a TrueBlue company that specializes in providing on-demand labor for companies. It supports a wide range of blue-collar industries, including construction, manufacturing, logistics, waste, recycling, and hospitality.

Through its JobStack platform, PeopleReady serves more than 130,000 businesses and puts more than 300,000 people to work each year. The company has more than 600 branch offices across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada.

The JobStack Worker App offers job seekers an opportunity to link with employers 24/7. Prospective candidates can then accept an assignment via their mobile device anytime and get paid quickly.

Image: Depositphotos.com

This article, "85% of Gig Workers Aren’t Afraid to Work During Coronavirus Pandemic" was first published on Small Business Trends