DoorDash is making the appeal process easier for gig workers who are kicked off the plat for deactivations easier

DoorDash is making it easier for gig workers who believe they’ve been kicked off the app unfairly to appeal the decision, the company said Friday. 

The food delivery giant is rolling out in-app appeals for both iOS and Android-using workers that will allow them to launch an appeal directly in the Dasher app after being notified they were deactivated. Dashers will also see the status of their appeals in real-time. 

DoorDash additionally “invested more resources” into its reviews team, so that Dashers will receive responses sooner. The goal, DoorDash said, is that deactivation appeals will be resolved within “a few business days.” 

“Our goal is to ensure that every Dasher who chooses to earn on DoorDash is treated fairly and with the respect they deserve,” Arielle Salomon, vice president of customer experience and integrity at DoorDash, said in a statement. 

Gig platforms broadly have been under fire from advocacy groups and gig workers themselves for the deactivation process. Some workers say they were unfairly terminated and subjected to an arduous appeals process that effectively meant going long periods without that income source.

Oftentimes there’s few protections for gig workers who feel they’re being unfairly treated, since they are operating as independent contractors. Seattle became the first city in the U.S. to protect gig workers from sudden deactivations, with a new law going into effect on January 1 that sets a higher bar for when companies can deactivate workers. 

Workers say they’ve been deactivated for not taking enough orders, delays beyond their control, or even customers who falsely accuse the worker of stealing their food so that they can get a refund. 

For the latter part, DoorDash said it’s launching a new feature that requires customers to provide a PIN code to receive a delivery in certain situations or if the customer frequently reports issues with their deliveries.

“While this is an important update to the dashing experience, it will not be the last update,” the company said in a press release. “We will continue to listen to the feedback we receive from Dashers and work tirelessly to make dashing even better and more rewarding.”

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