New York City experiments with rest stop spaces for delivery workers to improve their work conditions
Since the pandemic, there has been a surge in demand for doorstep delivery services, and particularly in New York City. However, NYC does not currently have infrastructure in place to support these tens of thousands of gig workers, as the city has very few public restrooms and its architecture is designed to prevent people from resting in public spaces. As a temporary, two-month experiment that was well-received by workers, the Chik-Fil-A fast food company had opened a storefront space in the city for delivery workers to be able to rest in between their jobs. Now that the break space is no longer available, other organizations like The Worker's Justice Project are looking to partner with the city to implement rest stops where delivery workers can rest and charge their devices. Ultimately, the wellbeing of these delivery workers is a complex topic since they do not have the same labor rights as employees as they are considered independent contractors.
See "New York City experiments with rest stop spaces for delivery workers to improve their work conditions", Dodai Stewart, New York Times, April 18, 2023