4 ms·

Depends on the market i guess, but in Finland and Germany they were employees, freelance isn't even an option.

Sharlin 5y ago
Def not in Finland. The question whether the freelance status is legal or whether the couriers should be classified as employees is still open. There was a preliminary decision that they are employees but the court process is still ongoing.
- jarcane 5y ago
  Correct. The labor board has issued its opinion that they should be considered employees but it hasn't yet been enforced by the courts. Instead, all Wolt couriers in Finland have been "independent contractors" and had to have their own business name or do other paperwork, that because of how Finnish law works for small business owners, means they get cut off from any public health insurance, unemployment insurance, etc. Courier work doesn't pay nearly enough to afford private insurance here, and since they aren't unionized (because after all they're not "workers" but business owners), they can't join a union unemployment benefit either. There has been an ongoing attempt at unionization but it has been difficult to push through; the apps are fighting against it tooth and nail because they already run at a loss and underpay the drivers as it is. Wolt deliberately obfuscates how much couriers are making an hour in the driver app, runs propaganda articles on the customer app, and both it and Foodora have continued to fight against employee or union recognition in the courts. It's become apparent for a while they are running scared, and running out of money. Quality of service has massively degraded over the last two years, as they've stripped support staff to the bone, manipulated delivery fees and ranges to nickle-and-dime customers, massive order delays and fudged estimates, started manipulating algorithms to push certain restaurants and promotions, rushed couriers causing constant order failures, which then mean more cost in customer refunds. It's god bad enough I stopped using it completely, because I just could no longer trust that I'd even get what I ordered, or that it wouldn't be left a sodden mess leaking all over my entryway. It's an app that was probably going to implode if they didn't get a buyout and soon, so this move is incredibly predictable. My only surprise is just how greedy they went with the bogus valuation here.
  - dustintrex 5y ago
    As the Finnish say, it's not the fool who sells, but the one who buys. If a buyer is willingly offering 7 billion EUR, it's not greedy to accept it.
  - sampo 5y ago
    > because of how Finnish law works for small business owners, means they get cut off from any public health insurance This is not true. Finnish public health insurance is residency based: Every resident has it [1]. What you are probably thinking of, is the extra occupational private health insurance, that most Finnish employers provide for their employees (so that during work days, the employees don't need to wait in line in the public health services, but can get back to work sooner after seeing a private doctor). [1] https://www.kela.fi/ulkomailta-suomeen-sairaanhoito-suomessa https://www.kela.fi/ulkomailta-suomeen-sairaanhoito-suomessa
    - kakoni 5y ago
      I believe most of the couriers have ”residence permit for an entrepreneur”. That means you get emergency care but thats about it. As your link states ” Jos olet tullut Suomeen tilapäisesti muualta kuin EU- tai Eta-maasta, Sveitsistä, Isosta-Britanniasta tai Pohjois-Irlannista, sinulla on oikeus vain kiireelliseen sairaanhoitoon. Hoidon kustannukset voidaan laskuttaa sinulta jälkikäteen. ”
      - sampo 5y ago
        > I believe most of the couriers have ”residence permit for an entrepreneur”. That means you get emergency care but thats about it. This is not true, for Finland. Residence permit for an entrepreneur [1] is still a residence permit. You get residency, home municipality, and everything that goes with it. [1] https://migri.fi/en/entrepreneur https://migri.fi/en/entrepreneur
        kakoni 5y ago
        Aah, so it seems. I stand corrected.

Def not in Finland. The question whether the freelance status is legal or whether the couriers should be classified as employees is still open. There was a preliminary decision that they are employees but the court process is still ongoing.

jarcane 5y ago
Correct. The labor board has issued its opinion that they should be considered employees but it hasn't yet been enforced by the courts. Instead, all Wolt couriers in Finland have been "independent contractors" and had to have their own business name or do other paperwork, that because of how Finnish law works for small business owners, means they get cut off from any public health insurance, unemployment insurance, etc. Courier work doesn't pay nearly enough to afford private insurance here, and since they aren't unionized (because after all they're not "workers" but business owners), they can't join a union unemployment benefit either. There has been an ongoing attempt at unionization but it has been difficult to push through; the apps are fighting against it tooth and nail because they already run at a loss and underpay the drivers as it is. Wolt deliberately obfuscates how much couriers are making an hour in the driver app, runs propaganda articles on the customer app, and both it and Foodora have continued to fight against employee or union recognition in the courts. It's become apparent for a while they are running scared, and running out of money. Quality of service has massively degraded over the last two years, as they've stripped support staff to the bone, manipulated delivery fees and ranges to nickle-and-dime customers, massive order delays and fudged estimates, started manipulating algorithms to push certain restaurants and promotions, rushed couriers causing constant order failures, which then mean more cost in customer refunds. It's god bad enough I stopped using it completely, because I just could no longer trust that I'd even get what I ordered, or that it wouldn't be left a sodden mess leaking all over my entryway. It's an app that was probably going to implode if they didn't get a buyout and soon, so this move is incredibly predictable. My only surprise is just how greedy they went with the bogus valuation here.
- dustintrex 5y ago
  As the Finnish say, it's not the fool who sells, but the one who buys. If a buyer is willingly offering 7 billion EUR, it's not greedy to accept it.
- sampo 5y ago
  > because of how Finnish law works for small business owners, means they get cut off from any public health insurance This is not true. Finnish public health insurance is residency based: Every resident has it [1]. What you are probably thinking of, is the extra occupational private health insurance, that most Finnish employers provide for their employees (so that during work days, the employees don't need to wait in line in the public health services, but can get back to work sooner after seeing a private doctor). [1] https://www.kela.fi/ulkomailta-suomeen-sairaanhoito-suomessa https://www.kela.fi/ulkomailta-suomeen-sairaanhoito-suomessa
  - kakoni 5y ago
    I believe most of the couriers have ”residence permit for an entrepreneur”. That means you get emergency care but thats about it. As your link states ” Jos olet tullut Suomeen tilapäisesti muualta kuin EU- tai Eta-maasta, Sveitsistä, Isosta-Britanniasta tai Pohjois-Irlannista, sinulla on oikeus vain kiireelliseen sairaanhoitoon. Hoidon kustannukset voidaan laskuttaa sinulta jälkikäteen. ”
    - sampo 5y ago
      > I believe most of the couriers have ”residence permit for an entrepreneur”. That means you get emergency care but thats about it. This is not true, for Finland. Residence permit for an entrepreneur [1] is still a residence permit. You get residency, home municipality, and everything that goes with it. [1] https://migri.fi/en/entrepreneur https://migri.fi/en/entrepreneur
      - kakoni 5y ago
        Aah, so it seems. I stand corrected.