App-based Gig Workers
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Also available in:
- Arabic: شارك في الاستبيان باللغة العربية
- French: Répondre à l’enquête en français
- Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਰਵੇਖਣ ਪੂਰਾ ਕਰੋ
- Simplified Chinese: 请用简体中文填写此调查问卷
- Tagalog: Sagutan ang survey sa wikang Tagalog
- Traditional Chinese: 請用繁體中文填寫問卷
Survey is open until September 1 at 4 pm PT
Overview
Who: The Ministry of Labour and app-based ride-hail and food-delivery gig workers
What: Assessing and establishing appropriate employment standards and other protections for certain gig workers
Where: Province-wide
Why: To ensure better conditions for these workers
How: Online, in-person
Engagement summary
In recent years we’ve seen a significant growth of the gig economy along with dramatic changes to B.C.’s workforce. Gig work is often associated with paid work outside of traditional employment and includes app-based ride-hail and delivery work.
We recognize that people in B.C. have embraced ride-hail and delivery services. Customers enjoy the convenience, while workers value the flexibility this type of work offers. But it is important to set appropriate employment standards and other protections for these gig workers.
In September 2024, new regulations established minimum employment standards, workers’ compensation coverage, and occupational health and safety protections for app-based ride-hail and delivery services workers.
Engagement opportunities:
2026 engagement
July 21 to September 1, 2026
In 2025, the Province committed to reviewing these new regulations to ensure they are delivering meaningful and intended outcomes for workers. Since then, we have been listening to app-based workers, platform companies, and other interested parties to understand the impacts on working conditions.
This engagement has included:
- In person and virtual roundtable meetings with app-based workers in Vancouver, Surrey, Victoria, and other areas of B.C.
- In person and virtual meetings with online platform companies, business associations, labour organizations, and academics and researchers with an interest in working conditions for these workers
The next phase of engagement is a survey seeking input from app-based workers and the public. Your participation will help the Province better understand working conditions for app-based workers now that the standards and protections have been in force for almost two years.
The survey is also available in the following languages:
- Arabic: شارك في الاستبيان باللغة العربية
- French: Répondre à l’enquête en français
- Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਰਵੇਖਣ ਪੂਰਾ ਕਰੋ
- Simplified Chinese: 请用简体中文填写此调查问卷
- Tagalog: Sagutan ang survey sa wikang Tagalog
- Traditional Chinese: 請用繁體中文填寫問卷
2022 engagement
November 23, 2022 to January 6, 2023
In fall 2022, the ministry held in-person roundtable discussions with app-based ride-hail and food-delivery workers throughout B.C. The ministry also engaged with platform companies, business associations, labour organizations, non-profit groups, academics and researchers. A public survey was available online.
- 22 virtual meetings were held with platform companies, business associations, labour organizations, non-profit groups, academics and researchers
- 1,470 completed survey completions
- 1,106 were current or former app-based ride-hail and food-delivery workers
- 364 were members of the general public
A summary of the results is available in the What We Heard Report:
- English: What We Heard Report
- Traditional Chinese: What We Heard: 我們所聽到的
- Simplified Chinese: What We Heard: 我们所听到的
- Punjabi: What We Heard: ਜੋ ਅਸ ੀਂ ਸੁਣਿਆ ਹੈਣਰਰਣਿਸ਼
- Tagalog: What We Heard: Mga Nalaman Namin
- French: What We Heard: Compte rendu des consultations
November 16, 2023 news release: Fairness coming for gig workers
November 20, 2023 news release: Legislative changes will bring fairness to app-based gig workers
2023 engagement: discussion papers
August 3 to September 30, 2023
Based on what we heard during the first engagement, the ministry developed a discussion paper: Proposing Employment Standards and Other Protections for App-Based Ride-Hail and Food-Delivery Workers in British Columbia (PDF, 1MB).
The discussion paper outlines the main concerns heard during the first engagement and provided the context for considering appropriate employment standards and other protections for the sector. It also gave discussion questions on these priority issues:
- Fair compensation standards
- Pay and destination transparency
- Account suspensions, deactivations and terminations
- Workers’ compensation and occupational health and safety coverage
The ministry asked for feedback on the discussion questions and priority issues provided in the discussion paper. There were two versions:
- Platform companies, business associations, labour organizations, non-profit groups, academics or researchers used this discussion paper (PDF, 1MB) as a reference.
- App-based ride-hail or food-delivery workers used this discussion paper as a reference:
2024 regulations
Effective Sept. 3, 2024, B.C. requires employers to provide minimum employment standards, as well as workers’ compensation and workplace safety protections for these workers. New regulations include:
- An hourly minimum wage at 120% of the general minimum wage
- At the time legislation passed, the minimum wage in B.C. was $17.40 an hour, meaning minimum wage for ride-hail and delivery services workers became $20.88 per hour of engaged time. In 2026, this amount became $21.89 per hour of engaged time, with the general minimum wage being $18.25 an hour.
- Pay is for engaged time: the time between accepting and completing a work assignment
- An expense allowance for using a personal vehicle to perform this work, of at least:
- 45 cents per km for ride-hail worker, for using a personal motor vehicle
- 35 cents per km for delivery services work, which applies to all vehicles, including a motor vehicle, an e-bike or a bicycle
- Workers’ compensation coverage from WorkSafeBC, and occupational health and safety protections
- Tip protection
- A fair process for suspensions and terminations
- Transparency on estimated payment and approximate pick-up and delivery locations before a work assignment is accepted
These new regulations are a starting point. The ministry continues to monitor the sector to see if adjustments are needed in the future.
June 12, 2024 news release: Fair pay, basic protections coming for gig workers
Related engagements
