On demand companies set a terrible example for gig work. Poached set out to do better.
Over the years, states across the nation have opened lawsuits against gig companies taking advantage of the service industry and gig workers.
Take Grubhub, for example. Not too long ago, Washington DC’s District Attorney, Karl Racine, drafted a complaint againt Grubhub over various accounts of misleading consumers.
This wasn’t Grubhubs first rodeo around a lawsuit for malpractice, so it isn’t too surprising.
What is hilarious, though, is that when reading the complaint on violations against consumers, one can’t help but see the horrific infractions against local restaurants that aren’t part of the lawsuit!
Truthfully, this is just another example on top of the pile of examples concluding that gig companies just suck. Whether they’re screwing over businesses or taking tips to supplement workers’ pay, something unethical often surfaces in the news.
That’s why we made sure Poached Shifts would be a better experience. We knew the gig model for hospitality staffing could benefit workers and businesses. We also knew that if we didn’t fill the hospitality gig space, someone else would do it horribly.
So here are a few ways Poached Shifts is resetting the standard on gig work.
Building Transparency In Gig Work
Poached Shifts was made for simplicity, which helps in creating transparency every step of the way:
- There are no upfront costs for employers until the shift is booked and worked.
- Employers pay the hourly rate they advertised plus a flat $39 service fee per shift worker and shift worked.
- The service fee goes toward promoting the shift to get it booked quickly and providing occupational insurance to booked workers.
- There are no additional fees if an employer decides to hire a worker permanently.
At Poached, we want to promote hospitality work, not create a blockade like other gig companies.
For workers, there are no fees to work a shift — it’s completely free to use. You also see a job’s hourly rate in the shift description, so you can choose if that’s a rate you’re willing to work for before you apply.
Creating More Flexibility in Hospitality Work
We created Poached Shifts to give employers and workers more flexibility around hospitality work.
Shifts can be used however you see fit, but we highly recommend them as a supplement tool to permanent employment.
For employers, you can fill in with shifts while hiring for a permanent position — plus, it’s a great way to meet potential employees.
For those looking to work through Poached Shifts, you can easily make it your full-time job, but it’s also meant to let you have more control to pick up shifts, earn extra money when you need it, and find permanent employment on Poached.
There are no contracts for using Poached Shifts, employers or workers can use this service whenever they want.
Maintaining a Standard of Integrity
Because shifts are worked by freelance professionals, who will have to subtract taxes from their hourly pay, and because shifts need to be filled quickly — we are constantly advocating for employers to pay higher than their prevailing wage.
We encourage a higher hourly rate by displaying a suggested rate when employers fill out their shift post form and when our customer success team connects with employers to get their shifts filled.
Our suggestions are fair and based on location and job type.
In addition to advocating for a fair wage, we also make sure payment is received quickly.
We give employers 24 hours to review worker invoices before automatically processing payment. Then, with our trusted payment processor, Stripe — workers can get paid directly within 24 hours.
Creating More Work Opportunities in Hospitality
As mentioned before, at Poached, we don’t want to create barriers to employment. We want to create more opportunities for employers and workers to connect.
Whether you’re an employer looking to hire full-time roles with affordable 30-day job listings or you want the flexibility to fill in as needed with Poached Shifts. Or maybe you’re a worker looking for a job but want to fill in shifts as needed. Whatever your need, you can find it on Poached.
We aim to create more flexibility and security to allow workers and employers more control of their employment or staffing needs.
Poached is the only hospitality-focused employment site where employers and workers can connect over full-time, part-time, and gig work opportunities.
Gig work should benefit everyone involved and provide a quick solution to a much-needed problem — it should not exploit or take advantage of workers, businesses, or consumers.
This is something we feel strongly about at Poached and guides how we do business. If you haven’t checked out Poached Shifts yet, what are you waiting for?