Opinion: BC government is protecting ride-hailing drivers' valued flexibility

Opinion: BC government is protecting the flexibility that ride-hailing drivers value most

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Written for Daily Hive Urbanized by Joy Nahirnick, who is a Victoria resident, a driver on the Uber platform, and a retired BC Transit bus driver.

Changes are finally on the horizon for gig workers across the province. Following nearly two years of consultations, British Columbia’s labour minister, Harry Bains, has just unveiled new legislation that will impact working conditions for thousands of gig workers like me across the province.

Thankfully, the provincial government seems to be listening to the most important voices in this conversation: ours — the drivers and delivery people who choose to do gig work. What makes this proposal stand out is that it clearly recognizes our biggest concern: protecting flexibility.

Gig work is fundamentally different from traditional jobs. By giving us status as “Online Platform Workers,” the government has recognized that we fall within a distinct category of worker, and can continue to work when, where, and if we want.

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That scheduling flexibility drew me to sign up as a driver when Uber launched in Victoria last summer. After more than 30 years driving city buses, I more than earned my retirement but still felt the pinch of rising costs. I needed some extra income to cope with inflation, but I didn’t want work to impede my downtime with my wife or my enjoyment of retirement.

Driving for Uber offers the perfect compromise: I can drive part-time, with my dog Honey Toes in tow, following the pace of my own schedule. If I don’t want to work on a Monday morning, I just don’t. No rigid shifts, no supervisors — just me in the driver’s seat.

As my own boss, I have full control over the trips I take and the way I earn income. In a busy university town with lots of tourism, I often receive multiple trip requests before I can even complete my rider drop-offs. There’s always an opportunity to earn, and the app gives me a clear, comprehensive breakdown of what I’m earning. Seeing real-time totals, upcoming promotions and hourly trends allows me to plan when I work and maximize what I earn. With just a few taps, I can track my earnings and opt to cash out weekly or daily.

It’s that unmatched flexibility and transparency that attracts nearly 11,000 drivers and 27,000 delivery people across BC to this type of work, from parents who can’t balance family responsibilities with traditional work schedules to students looking for opportunities to earn between classes to entrepreneurs seeking extra income to fund their dreams. Unsurprisingly, research from Uber indicates that almost nine in 10 drivers (89%) say they would not drive for ride-hailing platforms without this scheduling flexibility.

Despite these benefits, there is still wide recognition across the industry that BC’s existing employment system is outdated and unfair to gig workers. As independent contractors, gig workers can enjoy more freedom than employees but lack basic protection like minimum wage.

The provincial government plans to change that, offering protection for all workers with tailored benefits that suit the unique nature of our work. It would raise the floor for gig workers by introducing greater pay transparency and workers’ compensation. Ride-hailing and delivery apps will have to pay gig workers a minimum of 120% of the provincial minimum wage for engaged time.

Importantly, these new benefits and protections won’t compromise the flexibility that makes driving for delivery or ride-hailing companies viable for me and countless other people. I can continue being my own boss and enjoy the freedom of doing what I love: driving residents and visitors around my city on my — and Honey Toes’ — schedule.

For me, the provincial government’s proposal strikes the right balance, taking an important step towards more fairness and predictability in the way we work. I stand behind laws that keep the flexibility we value while providing the benefits and protections we need. With this legislation, BC is leading the way in creating a gig economy that actually works for everyone.

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