Uber unveils insurance coverage programme for drivers
Uber has announced that it will provide a range of insurance coverage including sickness, injury and maternity & paternity payments for drivers in the UK and across Europe.
Uber is providing its “Partner Protection” programme (the company calls its drivers “partners”) in association with the insurance company AXA.
Partner Protection will start on 1 June and will cover more than 150,000 independent Uber partners across Europe, including 70,000 drivers and couriers in the UK.
As previously reported, Uber has encountered opposition from unions over its relationship with the drivers. The unions have argued that the drivers should have access to more “workers’ rights”.
In a statement issued yesterday (23 May) explaining why it has launched the new programme, Uber said: “Uber wouldn’t be what it is without drivers and couriers – they are at the heart of the Uber experience. But along the way, we lost sight of that. We focused too much on growth and not enough on the people who made that growth possible. We called drivers “partners,” but didn’t always act like it. An important part of being a good partner is being a good listener.
“Drivers have told us that they enjoy the freedom of being their own boss and choosing if, when and where they drive. But drivers have also told us they want more security and peace of mind – life’s ups and downs such as an injury, sickness or having a baby should not come with all of the additional financial stress.
“Today we are announcing that we will provide a range of insurance coverage including sickness, injury and maternity & paternity payments for drivers in the UK and across Europe when they are on and off the Uber app. In partnership with AXA, one of the world’s most trusted insurers, our groundbreaking Partner Protection insurance programme will be funded by Uber at no cost to drivers and delivery partners.
“Partner Protection is designed to provide Uber partners with peace of mind while preserving the flexibility they value. Whether it’s sickness, an injury or jury duty, we believe partners deserve to be protected in case life (or work) doesn’t go according to plan.
“This new product covers all eligible partners in the UK for major costs or lost income resulting from accidents or injuries that occur on trip. It also provides protection for major life events that happen off trip like severe sickness and injury, maternity or paternity leave and jury duty. Summary of coverage is available here.
“To be eligible for the off-trip insurance, a driver partner must have completed 150 trips in the previous eight weeks; while an Eats partner must have completed at least 30 deliveries in the previous eight weeks to qualify.”
