Menulog Driver
Esmeralda Rusinski
The newest food delivery service in Australia is DoorDash, an American company that launched in Sydney and Melbourne in late 2019. While DoorDash enjoyed some positive press on April 15 after they halved the commission fees for restaurants using their platform, their delivery drivers told me a very different story.
Thinking of becoming an Ubereats or Menulog driver to supplement my current income --> for those who've done either or both gigs before, does Menulog require third party or comprehensive car insurance on top of CTP?
Who cares if Menulog require it. Just head over to the automotive forum to see why, at a minimum, third party property insurance is a good idea.
If not you're just increasing your chances of going bankrupt if you hit anyone. Or you'll need 4 jobs, not 2, to pay back whoever else you cleaned up!
As for insurance the best people to speak to are your insurance company. If you're using your car for income, your insurance company may have a specific product for the gig economy (which I dislike...another story). I would suggest, though, at minimum to have a comprehensive policy for that kind of work.
Nah, pizza delivery used to be a decent second job before the gig economy and particularly before everyone started paying with cards for everything. You'd get a flat hourly rate from the shop, and decent tips from customers.
If you work at peak times and you're smart about which orders you take, you can earn on average $35 per hour (this is before your costs obviously). There's times where it just doesn't make sense to drive at all, as there's very few orders coming in and they don't pay that well. You learn very quickly which places to give a miss (they take too long to prepare the food) and how long it takes to do deliveries into certain areas).
I personally wouldn't do it with a car. Maybe grab an electric bike which would be much more economical and give you a good workout too. Get paid while doing some fitness. I've talked to quite a few food couriers in Sydney CBD and Friday/Saturday nights you're making $50/hr+ easily. Even more if you're multi-apping.
Hahaha. No third party property is a great way to lose thousands, or multiple tens of thousands, of dollars if you crash into someone. Given the global supply chain issues, you could easily put someone off the road for weeks until replacement parts for their damaged vehicle arrives. On top of the repair cost, you would be liable for their hire car costs.
If it's only for a couple hours here and there and to keep you fit while making a bit of money, go for it.
That will offset your bike cost (write-off), and parts of your phone, mobile plan, Internet, computer, etc... This is how you should see it from an financial perspective. NOT to make money...
The gig economy is NEVER a plan A, it's a plan B, at best.
Except that you have to deal with restaurants, customers, deadlines, can't cycle the routes you like when you like etc because it's a job. It will no longer be a giggle, it will be a responsibility. You can't just decide to cycle somewhere else or throw in the towel when it's no longer exciting if you've taken on a job.
Also, it isn't high pay so if you see it as 'better than being paid nothing, which is what I was getting for just messing around biking for fun' rather than comparing it to other jobs you may feel more satisfied about the money.
I thought about it too, but then realised that you will be riding on the road at close to peak times, or when its dark. Then in order to deliver as quickly as you can, you need to ride the roads that cyclists would not normally ride (I've seen a few of them on Princes Hwy in Rockdale/Kogarah area). You may also need to make quick manouvers that piss off pedestrians and motorists.
As an industry-first in Australia, Menulog has announced that it is reassessing its current independent contractor model, and trialling the engagement of its delivery drivers as employment relationships.
I have a suspicion they look at the receipt that's taped to the bag and saw "voucher used on the receipt" and stole it knowing that i didn't pay full price for my order and they know my order included a coffee.
When I was a kid at McDonald's the teenage workers would sneak food all the time. Even though the manager tracked sales vs ingredient orders, and itemised the wastage bin after each shift, so they knew what was being eaten. Workers didn't care.
Happened to me 2 times in Victoria as well. Both were for chickens. The first was Menulog, second was Doordash that we ordered directly from the restaurant. Got refunded eventually, but really pissed as we were hungry and in both occasions it was late so everything else was already closed by then. I have heard that this happens quite often. That means there is no consequences whatsoever to the thief, so they can keep doing it.
everybody wants stuff cheap, including deliveries. So the drivers get paid crap - not enough to live on. Something's gotta give. That's also why there's a labor shortage in the cafe industry. We took away penalty rates for all those folk, mostly casual workers. Surprise surprise
However, I also contacted the store. They told me Menulog charge them for items they refund. However, the store had footage themselves of the driver collecting the bag of food and the pizza. I gave my video to them to take it up with Menulog.
It happened again - the Menulog driver dropped off food but not the pizza, but this time I raced out and caught the driver and he said "oh, sorry" and pulled the pizza out of his car. He didn't even act surprised like "oops, sorry, I forgot about it."
This is a common event happening in certain pockets of Brisbane and elsewhere according to other posters on reddit. (and before you ask pharmacies post the weed once you send them your script, its common practise)
Workers don't care as they are treated poorly and get paid a pittance, customers always return to the app as they are lazy and rich and governments won't enact laws as the app platforms are willing to spend millions in the courts countering any laws that treat gig-workers as staff.
It's a dystopian world we are heading towards. The gig-economy is nothing new or high-tech. It's just a modern Dickensian work house where governments are 100% complicit with the exploitation of desperate people.
@samfisher5986 Keep supporting Howard's legacy that led to increasingly unaffordable housing, demonised unions and sought to disadvantage workers at every opportunity. JobChoices may have backfired on the Coalition, but they just about got there incrementally.
Keep supporting every half-arsed "Disruptive" idea that answers non-existent questions.
Champion short-term rentals cos you're a rent-taker / it's what 'ol Johnny approves of / supports some dodgy Silicone valley hucksters.
My last few orders from menulog were many months ago because they would consistently end up taking 2-3 hours.
Yeah, nah.
Once is bad luck.
Twice is coincidence.
Three times is a pattern.
This happens to me with Uber eats. I always have a missing items in my order.
Something that I have always noticed when this happens, the delivery driver will park a few meters away from house even through there is parking available in front of the house..
Secondly the person takes a long time to out of the car.
Thirdly the bag is torn open even if it was sealed by the restaurant using staples or tape.
Don't know about Menulog drivers but Uber Drivers might! On the topic of driver behaviour though, has anyone here ever been the first delivery of an Uber Driver's delivery route? Maybe I'm just unlucky but I always get "XXXX is on their way and they have 1 stop on the way" Why always 1 stope before me ? Its a conspiracy I tell you!
Food delivery app Menulog will soon treat its Australian delivery drivers as employees instead of independent contractors, ditching the framework that its peers have stubbornly clung to for years. It's a massive change, and one that may have far-reaching implications.
Menulog's huge shift from a contractor model to an employee one was announced by managing director Morten Belling during the Senate Select Committee on Job Security's Monday hearing. The committee is currently conducting an inquiry into workers' rights and wages in Australia's gig economy, among other issues.
"We are committed to the safety of our couriers, providing them with insurance cover and a fair income," said Belling in his statement, which was subsequently supplied to Mashable. "While we are compliant with local laws, we believe there is more we can do for couriers, to better meet our evolved values and moral standards."
"We owe it to our couriers to help enhance their life standards and as such, we have begun looking at how we can improve the way we operate and, as part of this, how we can roll out an employee model in Australia," said Belling.
A Menulog spokesperson told Mashable they don't have have many details on exactly how or when the change will be implemented, particularly at this early stage. However, Belling did state that it currently involves a "three-pronged approach."
First, the company will increase its insurance cover and examine delivery drivers' leave entitlements and superannuation. Next, it will start a pilot program to employ some of its couriers in the Sydney CBD. And finally, it will consult with stakeholders and apply for a new Modern Award with Australia's Fair Work Commission.
This last point is particularly interesting. In Australia, awards lay out legal conditions of employment for particular occupations, including pay and leave entitlements. Australia's minimum wage of $19.49 per hour is set by an award.
Employed food delivery drivers are currently covered by the Road Transport and Distribution Award 2020. This award sets a minimum hourly rate of $21.01 for couriers traveling by bike or foot, and $21.54 if they deliver via car or motorcycle. It also stipulates that casual employees must be paid for a minimum of four hours per engagement, regardless of how long they actually work.