Many companies like Google and Amazon have asked their workers to stay at home due to the threat of coronavirus. They have guaranteed that the organizations will cover the hourly wages of the employees. However, for Amazon Flex drivers, this might not be the case.

According to a memo released by OneZero, Amazon drivers will not receive any payment since they will not be going out to work. So just like Uber and Lyft they too would be staying at home without any support from the employer companies.

Amazon has not released any statement to counter the claim. But similar circumstances have been witnessed by other gig workers who are not getting paid even if they test positive for the virus.

On Friday, Senator Mark Warner sent out letters to Uber, Lyft, Postmates, Grubhub, DoorDash and Instacart, urging them to provide financial support to the drivers or gig workers who rely on such payments.

“I strongly urge that you attempt to address the potential financial hardship for your workers if they are sick or have to self-quarantine during this time,” said Warner in the letters. “In order to limit the spread of COVID-19, it is critical that platform companies lead by example by committing that economic uncertainty will not be deterrents to their workers following public health guidance during the response.”

Source: Zero Medium

In response, Uber released a statement which said that the company is “exploring compensation for drivers who have been quarantined or diagnosed with coronavirus, whether independently, through a fund, or in partnership with peer companies”.

Postmates is also devising strategies to “invest in the well being of our flexible workforce” and has added a “non-contact” delivery cause in the contract which allows the workers to drop off the meal on customer’s doorstep.

Without a doubt, coronavirus has been quite difficult for the job market. People who earn their wages through flexible jobs are suffering immensely, and we can only hope that all the billionaire organizations can take out some money for them.