San Jose State students working for DoorDash face health and financial concerns as the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent shelter-in-place orders continue across California.
In a SAMMY app message, digital media art junior David Zenteno said that he first started using DoorDash so his hours would be flexible, but that now he’s worried about the amount of jobs available.
“It’s been slow due to the people’s concern of the coronavirus spreading through contact, so ordering food knowing that a person will handle your food seems like a risk,” Zenteno said.
In a SAMMY app message, marketing freshman Jeremiah Paige who works for DoorDash, said Dashers may be getting fewer jobs because people are wary of ordering takeout from restaurants or they might believe more restaurants have temporarily closed.
On April 9, DoorDash pledged a $100 million commitment toward helping independently owned restaurants in affected areas. Starting April 13 through the end of May, DoorDash will reduce its usual commission of 50% per single order so that restaurants have more profit.
According to the DoorDash website, the company created an access program that will prioritize getting restaurant workers who lost their jobs working again.
Paige said he started working for DoorDash to earn supplemental income for school and other expenses.
“It was a job that I can work around my school schedule, and now that I have a job that I work on the weekends and DoorDash is my side job,” Paige said.
However, with the continued spread of COVID-19, Paige said he will continue working for DoorDash because he never knows when his primary security job may cut his hours.
“DoorDash and other food delivery services aren’t going to be closed down during this whole thing because people always need food,” Paige said. “So I have security knowing that if my regular job closes, I have something to cover me.”
But with new cases and the number of deaths from the coronavirus rising, students like Paige said they worry about their health. Paige said the DoorDash itself has not told their employees about new social
distancing rules.
However, DoorDash recently updated its website, stating that customers now have the option of choosing no-contact deliveries.
At checkout, customers will be able to choose “leave it at my door” as the drop-off option and include any additional instructions, such as apartment numbers or specific locations, so that a Dasher can complete the delivery.
In an email sent to SJSU students on March 13, DoorDash said it will start distributing hand sanitizer and gloves to Dashers who operate in affected areas.
The company is attempting to accommodate Dashers whose health may be affected by the crisis. The same email stated that they will be providing financial assistance to eligible Dashers who are diagnosed with COVID-19 or quarantined, to ensure that those employees can focus on recovering.
As a precaution, criminal justice senior Crystal Cano said that she has started wearing gloves when handling food for customers.
“Now with the whole coronavirus epidemic going on, I’m always keeping Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer and extra gloves in my car, for whenever I’m working for DoorDash, so that me and the customer are safe,” Cano said.
DoorDash started off as a side job for Cano as well, but she said she now relies more on DoorDash to help pay her bills.
“I currently have two jobs, but my hours got cut from one place and the other place I work at closed,” Cano said. “So I decided to go back to DoorDash because I still have bills to pay at the end of the day.”
