Postmates has announced that it will be offering additional resources for its fleet of gig workers to address the impact the COVID-19, novel coronavirus has had in these communities. The company has created a fund that will credit Postmates couriers for the costs of doctors’ appointments and medical expenses related to COVID-19’s impact in over 22 states.
With over half of Americans unable to afford a $400 unexpected expense, the Postmates Fleet Relief Fund will enable couriers to take proactive and preventive personal health care steps by covering costs for medical check-ups, regardless of whether the courier has been diagnosed or quarantined. The fund builds on steps taken by the company over the past several weeks such as issuing CDC guidance to the fleet, and the creation of a new feature that enables non-contact dropoff, inside the app.
- Members of the Postmates fleet who have made at least one delivery in: Wash., Ore., Calif., Nev., Utah, Colo., Ariz., Texas, Neb., Wis., Ill., Ind., Fla., Ga., Tenn., N.C., D.C., Penn., N.Y., Maine, Mass., and N.J. in the last two weeks will be eligible for a credit from the emergency relief fund, which can be deposited towards the Postmates health savings vehicle (powered by Starship).
- Any Postmate not registered with this health account, but interested in the emergency relief credit, may sign up for the Postmates health savings vehicle and be eligible for the stipend to cover needed expenses, irrespective of diagnosis or quarantine. Individuals can enroll in health savings vehicles (powered by Starship) which can be found under the health section of the Postmates Fleet Flexible Toolkit https://fleet.postmates.com/flexible-toolkit/.
The Postmates on-demand delivery platform gives customers access to 600,000 restaurants and retailers, covering 80% of US households, across all 50 states. Customers can get free delivery on all merchants by joining Postmates Unlimited, the industry’s first subscription service.