Uber Fined $649M for Saying Drivers Aren’t Employees

We don’t want to face the reality, but turning the gig-economy into actual employment, we may wipe it out entirely.

Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Postmates, etc. operate at losses already because the demand for a taxi ride or food delivery is not high enough to support a critical supply/demand.

While I understand the need of people to support themselves, the gig-economy should not be that. It can’t. It’s supposed to be a way to make a little cash on the side, not a full time job.

The larger problem I think is that a scarcity of low-level jobs means that they all get taken up by people trying to make a living.

As someone who occasionally uses ride sharing, I already find the prices to be on the upper end of what I’m willing to pay. In the situation where the gig-economy is treated as employment, no doubt gig-employers will be forced to pass on cost to the end users. I think any more than a 20% increase to cost, I’ll probably stop using it.

All this does at the company/investment level is promote more actions to reduce employment. If an Uber driver now costs twice as much, there’s double the incentive to replace them with autonomous vehicles.

It’s a dangerous game.

looks like Uber's most central innovation, avoiding employer duties and regulation, finally comes to an end. Thank God.