Instacart’s COVID “sick pay” — the reality

Instacart, like almost every other major gig company, has released a PR statement claiming they’re protecting sick workers and public health by offering us paid sick leave.

The reality is, their sick leave is designed to be virtually impossible to access. Very few workers who are sick with COVID can actually access sick pay from Instacart — and that means workers will have no choice but to continue shopping and delivering groceries to customers, risking further spread of the coronavirus.

 
 

What’s wrong with Instacart’s sick pay?

Click here to read the statement Instacart has released about their sick pay.

Instacart’s sick pay is only available to workers who have tested positive for COVID or placed in individual mandatory quarantine by a public health authority (like the CDC). That means the vast majority of sick workers can’t stay home, including:

  • Workers who can’t access a test because of limited supplies

  • Workers who are waiting for test results

  • Workers who have a doctor’s note telling them to quarantine due to suspected COVID

  • Workers who have been told to self-isolate because they’re at high risk for COVID

 
 

Instacart provides virtually no information about what’s required to file a claim — they just tell workers to send them an email if they think they’re eligible. That means few workers will know how to access sick pay — and even fewer will get it.

For the few who do, Instacart’s policies will pay out a tiny fraction of what real “sick pay” would:

  • Instacart says they’ll provide sick pay for “up to” 14 days.

  • The pay per day will be based on average pay in the 14 days before diagnosis — when workers were already sick and likely needed to stay home, making their pay much lower than typical.

  • And they’re calculating it based on what Instacart pays, not including tips — which make up about 1/3 of workers’ take-home income.

What happens when workers try to get sick pay from Instacart?

“I have worked for Instacart for six years and never had an issue. I inquired about the 14 day coronavirus pay because I had gotten tested and was waiting to hear my status. A few days later I was deactivated without pay. They say it was a health violation.”

- Douglas, lynnwood, wa

“I called support and told them I shouldn’t be working right now because my daughter and I both had a fever and cough, and the doctor told us to self-quarantine. When I asked about sick pay, the shopper support rep scoffed and laughed it off — he said if I wasn’t diagnosed I can’t get help and I can keep working.”

- April, Mcclellan, CA

“On the 21st, I woke up and I couldn’t breathe. I felt like I was drowning. I went to the hospital and they said it was likely I have COVID, so they gave me a test. It’s been eight days and I don’t have my results back, but the doctor told me to quarantine while I wait for them so I don’t spread the virus to others.

As soon as I got home from the hospital, I submitted my paperwork to Instacart. I submitted every proof I could — including discharge papers instructing me to quarantine. Today Instacart finally responded: “you do not meet the requirements to receive extended pay.” They gave me no information about how I could access aid — they didn’t even tell me to stop working. They’re not helping people stay home. They’re putting our communities at risk.”

- laura, springfield, il

Instacart is one of the worst offenders — but every major app has released a “sick pay” policy that’s really just a PR statement.

Don’t let gig companies continue to operate as “essential businesses” without providing their workers with essential protections. Sign on to the demand for sick pay that actually pays, & share this page to spread the word.