On-demand grocery delivery company Instacart has hired 300,000 workers in a month to address the surge in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Startup delivery firm Instacart was able to hire 300,000 workers in recent weeks in response to the increased demand spurred by the coronavirus crisis. The company is still looking to add another 250,000 workers over the next two months.
The additional employees will work as "full-service shoppers," who are treated as independent contractors, in areas with the highest demand in order to "get back to same-day delivery."
The high demand has resulted to some customers being unable to secure delivery slots in recent weeks. Prior to the surge, Instacart only had around 200,000 full-service shoppers.
In a blog post, the firm mentioned that it will reintroduce a wait list for applicants in areas where it has enough workers to keep up with the demand to ensure it is "thoughtfully balancing" how many workers it accepts.
Criticisms and Instacart's response
Instacart is among the small number of companies, including Amazon and Walmart, whose businesses are rapidly expanding while the rest of the US economy faces a contraction.
On the other hand, the firm has also faced criticism over claims that it has not done enough to protect and compensate workers amid the coronavirus crisis.
In late March, several employees protested, calling for a number of changes, including a form of hazard pay or an extra $5 per order, as well as a default tip of 10%. They also called for an expansion of its coronavirus pay to include those with underlying health conditions.
In response to the criticisms and complaints, Instacart announced that it will make hand sanitizer available to its "full service shoppers," who shop and deliver groceries for the company while also making it easier for customers to set their own default tipping percentage in the app.
The company has also made "safety kits," which include a face mask and hand sanitizer, available for its workers to order as well as an in-app wellness check for workers to help determine if they have any coronavirus-related symptoms.
Amazon installs thermal cameras
In related news, e-commerce giant Amazon will be using thermal cameras at its warehouses to detect coronavirus symptoms by comparing a person’s body heat with that of their surroundings. This technology is relatively faster than using close-range thermometers.
In the US, there have been COVID-19 cases reported at more than 50 of its warehouses. Amazon employees claimed that it was nearly impossible to implement social distancing at the facilities.
An Amazon spokesman said: “We implemented daily temperature checks in our operations locations as an additional preventative measure to support the health and safety of our employees, who continue to provide a critical service in our communities.”
“We are now implementing the use of thermal cameras for temperature screening to create a more streamlined experience at some of our sites,” the spokesman added.
The thermal cameras will also be used to replace thermometers at staff entrances to many of the firm’s Whole Foods stores.
