Injury insurance arrangements for food delivery riders in the gig economy

What is this about?

There is currently a lack of clarity about whether riders delivering food for platforms such as Uber Eats, Menulog, Doordash, HungryPanda and Deliveroo are covered under existing NSW workers compensation laws. While some delivery riders are covered by CTP or other insurance if they are injured or killed at work, other riders may not be.

This discussion paper sets out a range of options to improve injury insurance for these riders. The options outlined in the discussion paper are:

1. Maintain the status quo with increased education and awareness about existing personal injury and income protections.
2. Require gig platforms to provide personal injury insurance for their food delivery riders.
3. Establish a scheme to provide a personal injury insurance safety net for food delivery riders.
4. Establish a scheme to provide personal injury insurance to food delivery riders modelled on motor accidents (CTP) scheme benefits.
5. Establish a scheme to provide personal injury insurance for food delivery riders modelled on workers compensation protections.
6. Extend the existing workers compensation scheme to cover food delivery riders by deeming food delivery riders as ‘workers’ for the purposes of workers compensation legislation.

There is no preferred option and SIRA will consider all suggestions, including those not canvassed in the discussion paper.

SIRA is seeking broad community and industry feedback on the merits and considerations associated with the personal injury insurance arrangements for gig economy food delivery riders.

The input gathered through the consultation process will be critical to inform SIRA’s advice to the NSW Government.

Next steps

SIRA seeks feedback on the discussion paper by no later than 5pm, Friday 28 May 2021.

Your comments and feedback can be submitted online or via email to [email protected].

For enquiries about the consultation process you can contact [email protected]