Uber drivers and delivery persons in France are automatically going to get covered by accident insurance over the coming months. Uber has partnered with French insurance company Axa on this insurance product. It’ll go live this fall and it’s going to be free for independent workers.
Hold your horses for a minute though. Before you think Uber is a nice company and wants to help its drivers, as ITespresso noticed, Uber is just complying with France’s latest labor law.
Starting in January 2018, tech platforms and marketplaces will have to cover independent workers making more than $6,000 per year on that platform (€5099.64). Emmanuel Macron has also promised during his presidential campaign that independent workers would be able to apply to unemployment benefits just like full-time employees. The current government is working on another labor law right now.
While Axa and Uber didn’t say much about their new partnership, the upcoming insurance product is going to cover medical expenses, disability indemnities and survivor benefits. It’s still unclear if Axa is just going to cover medical expenses in case a driver can’t drive anymore, or more than that. But Uber calls it “accident insurance”, not “medical insurance.”
As for disability indemnities and survivor benefits, many French companies provide life insurance (assurance prévoyance) as part of benefits packages. This should be something similar for Uber drivers.
Uber, Deliveroo and other companies relying heavily on independent workers are facing criticism when it comes to working conditions, benefits and job security. Recent labor laws indicate that the French government wants to protect independent workers as much as possible. The U.K. government is also looking at ways to fix those loopholes.
Today’s news is just about France, but there’s a trend. Uber is launching personal injury and illness insurance in the U.K. — but it’s not free. Drivers in New York are also covered by Uber’s insurance policy — but you’re only covered when you’re driving for Uber. Drivers in the U.S. can also pay for a driver injury protection insurance.