Gig Workers
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Overview
Who: The Ministry of Labour and gig workers
What: Assessing if certain gig work should be covered by the Employment Standards Act
Where: Province-wide
Why: To ensure equity for all 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 income-earning activity outside of a traditional employment relationship and includes app-based ride-hail and food-delivery work.
We recognize that people in B.C. have embraced ride-hail and food-delivery services. Workers value the flexibility of gig work, but most people involved in the sector agree there is room to improve working conditions.
In October 2022, the Ministry of Labour (the Ministry) initiated a public engagement to review and propose appropriate employment standards and other protections for app-based ride-hail and food-delivery workers. This priority initiative is a key component of the government’s broader approach to make the economy work better for people living in B.C.
Results and What We Heard Report
In November and December 2022, the Ministry’s Parliamentary Secretary held in-person roundtable discussions with over 150 app-based ride-hail and food-delivery workers in nine communities throughout B.C. Participants included workers who rely on this work as their only or primary source of income, as well as those who use gig work to supplement other employment. In addition to these in-person meetings:
- 22 virtual meetings were held with platform companies, business associations, labour organizations, non-profit groups, academics and researchers.
- A survey was available online from November 23, 2022, to January 6, 2023.
- Of the 1,470 completed surveys, 1,106 people who responded were current or former app-based ride-hail and food-delivery workers, and 364 people were members of the general public.
Meeting participants and survey respondents expressed a wide range of perspectives on the issues and clear themes did emerge. To learn more, read the App-based Ride-Hail and Food-Delivery Work in British Columbia: 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
Input leads to action
Feedback gathered through this public engagement has been summarized in the What We Heard Report and will inform the next steps for government.
The Ministry is working together with platform companies, app-based ride-hail and food-delivery workers, and other stakeholders on solutions to ensure appropriate employment standards and other protections are in place for this sector.
