“We are invisible to society”: impacts of working conditions on food delivery workers’ health and quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic

Daufenback, Vanessa; Bógus, Claudia Maria; Rocha, Cecília; Ribeiro, Esther Amorim

doi:10.1590/S0104-12902023220528en

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Dossier • Saude soc. 32 (1) • 2023 • https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-12902023220528en copy

“We are invisible to society”: impacts of working conditions on food delivery workers’ health and quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic aggravated the scenario of low income, hunger, unemployment, and informality generated by the 2017 Labor Reform and the dismantling of social policies, leading many workers to enter the food delivery business that misses labor rights or protection. Thus, this study aimed at investigating how such working conditions impacted food delivery workers’ health and quality of life in Curitiba, Brazil, during the pandemic according to delivery categories. Field research, based on saturation of discourse, was conducted in 10 delivery points using a semi-structured instrument. Despite mentioning several negative aspects regarding working conditions, most delivery workers perceived a positive quality of life, mainly associated with the possibility of work and financial return. App-based delivery workers felt more intensely the negative impacts on health and quality of life. These findings point to the need for further discussions on how these new contemporary and precarious labor arrangements impact occupational health in different contexts and categories.

Keywords:
Labor Precarization; Gamification; Food Delivery Workers; COVID-19; Quality of Life

	Motorbike worker	Outsourced delivery workers	Freelancer delivery workers	App-based delivery workers	App-based bike delivery workers	Freelancer bike delivery workers
Type of Contract	Formal	Informal or formal	Informal	Informal	Informal	Informal
Attendance of courses and training delivered by Detran	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Fees payment	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Link with the facility	Direct, with contract	Indirect, mediated by an outsourced company	Direct, no contract	Via app company	Via application company	Direct, no contract

	Professional motorbike workers/ motorcyclists	Freelancer delivery workers/‌direct delivery for establishments	Outsourced delivery workers	App-based delivery workers	App-based bike delivery workers	Freelancer bike delivery workers/‌direct delivery for establishments
Total n (% - 94) ¹	30 (31%)	4 (4.8%)	12 (13%)	22 (23%)	19 (20.2%)	7 (8%))
White (50 total) n - %	18 (19%)	1 (1%)	6 (6.4%)	9 (9.6%)	12 (13%)	4 (4.2%)
Black (38 total) n - %	7 (7.4%)	2 (2.1%)	6 (6.4%)	14 (15%)	9 (9.6%)	0
Asians/Indians (4 total) n - %	3 (75%)	-	-	-	1 (25%)	-
Highest % by age group	56% (35- 55 years)	75% (35- 40 years)	83% (20- 35 years)	60% (30- 45 years)	80% (20- 35 years)	100% (20- 35 years)
Average years of education	13.5	11	11	11	9	13.5
Has another job	4	2	5	9	5	1

	Motorbike worker	Freelancer delivery workers	Outsourced delivery workers	Application-based delivery workers	Freelancer bike delivery workers	App-based bike delivery workers
Total n (%) 94	30 (32%)	3 (3.2%)	12 (12.8%)	23 (24.4%)	4 (4.2%)	22 (23.4%)
Formal (n; % category) Total: 28	19 (63%)	1 (25%)	8 (66%)	0	0	0
Informal (n; % category) Total: 65	11 (37%)	2 (75%)	4 (44%)	23 (100%)	4 (100%)	22 (100%)
Average hours worked a day	10 hours	9.3	9.9 hours	10.5	7.3	11
Average days worked a week	6 days	5 days	7 days	6 days	6 days	6 days
Average monthly income (R$)	3262.5	1,860	2,587.5	2,291.2	1,666	2,023
Highest % of delivery workers per income range	60% above R$3,000	75% between R$2,000 and R$3,000	42% between R$3,000 and R$3,900	43% between R$1,500 and R$2,900	75% below R$1,500	50% between R$2,000 and R$2,900
Fixed compensation	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Fixed work schedule	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
Fixed rest time	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Fixed mealtime	Formal	No	No	No	No	No
Food Aid¹	Formal	Yes	Variable²	No	Yes	No
PPE aid (helmet, vest, mask, alcohol gel)	No	No	No	No	No	Variable⁵
Healthcare aid/insurance	Formal	No	Formal only	Variable⁴	No	No
Access to bathroom and fixed shelter	Yes	Yes	Variable³	No	Yes	No

	General¹ (94)	Motorbike worker (30)²	Freelancer delivery workers (3)	Outsourced delivery workers (12)	App-based delivery workers (23)	Bike delivery workers delivery workers (22)³	Freelancer bike delivery workers (4)
White n (% total)	50 (54.5%)	18 (19%)	1 (1%)	6 (6.4%)	9 (9.6%)	12 (13%)	4 (4.2%)
Black n (% total)	38 (41.3%)	7 (7.4%)	2 (2.1%)	6 (6.4%)	14 (15%)	9 (9.6%)	0
Informality degree n (%) White×black	15 (30%) × 24 (63%)	4 (22%) × 4 (57%)	1 (100%) × 1 (50%)	4 (66%) × 5 (83%)	9 (100%) × 14 (100%	12 (100%) × 9 (100%)	4 (100%) × -
White x black average monthly wage (Reais)	2,758 × R$2,400	3,341 × R$2,614	R$3,141 × R$2,438	R$3,086 × R$2,806	R$2,200 × R$2,593	R$2,341 × R$1,638	R$1,750 × R$1,500
Average hours worked/day white×black	10.4h × 10.4h	10.6h × 11.5h	8 h × 7h	9.6h × 9.3h	10h × 11h	11.1 × 12	7.3 × -
Average days worked/week White×black	6.1 × 6.3	6.1 × 6.3	6.1 × 5.5	6.5 × 7	6 × 6.5	6 × 6.1	6.1 × -

Categories	Subcategories
Racism	Structural racism forces black delivery workers to work longer hours and be exposed to more risk, harassment and racism
Level of formality, employment relationship and working conditions	The higher the level of formality and/or link with facilities, the less variable the work process becomes, increasing the perception of a more stable and predictable work process
Understanding of how digital platforms work	Lack of understanding of the rules of digital platforms operation
Characteristics of daily work	Reduced possibilities to eat while working	Low pay	Variable access to water, hygiene, and shelter
Work accident	High risk of accidents and difficult access to public or private security assistance
Covid-10	Contamination and diseasing from Covid-19 make it difficult to take time off work
Perception about satisfaction and quality of life	Satisfaction related to deliveries and compensation
No protection of delivery workers	Sense of invisibility vis-à-vis digital platforms, outsourced companies, restaurants and customers

Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo. Associação Paulista de Saúde Pública. Av. dr. Arnaldo, 715, Prédio da Biblioteca, 2º andar sala 2, 01246-904 São Paulo - SP - Brasil, Tel./Fax: +55 11 3061-7880 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: saudesoc@usp.br

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[1] Correspondence Vanessa Daufenback Rua Comendador Pinto Bandeira, 122, s.5. Curitiba, PR, Brasil. CEP 81530350.