Uber rides. Uber Eats. Now it wants to get you temp jobs with Uber Works app

Firm's app gives users ability to choose which shifts they want.

By Abdel Jimenez

Chicago Tribune
October 8, 2019 at 9:13PM
The logo of peer-to-peer ridesharing provider Uber at the company's headquarters on May 7, 2018 in San Francisco, Calif. Uber has laid off about 400 employees globally. (Christoph Dernbach/DPA/Zuma Press/TNS) ORG XMIT: 1375601
Uber new temp service in Chicago puts it in competition with Shiftgig. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

First, Uber Technologies wanted to be your chauffeur. Then, it wanted to deliver takeout. Now, the tech company is launching a temporary labor service in Chicago.

Uber unveiled Uber Works, a service that matches workers to available shifts in a variety of workplaces, including food-manufacturing plants, catering businesses and restaurants. Unlike a typical temp agency, which connects workers to businesses, Uber Works automates the process and gives users the ability to choose what shifts they want to cover. The service is only available to Chicago-area residents.

Uber is partnering with TrueBlue, a Tacoma, Wash.-based staffing agency, that will employ, pay and provide benefits to the shift workers. Uber Works' employees are hourly.

The company has been testing the platform for more than a year in Chicago and the app became available there last week.

Andrey Liscovich, CEO of Uber Works, said that delving into the temporary labor market required the tech company to find a way to streamline the process for workers to access jobs.

"We are passionate about this because it affects a lot of people," he said. "In Chicago, it's an acute problem, especially for folks on the South Side who might find it hard to access transportation. We are trying to leverage the platform to get people. to access jobs instead of waiting for an agency."

The company declined to say how many workers the platform already has or how many businesses have joined Uber Works. Users must go through a screening and background check by Uber and TrueBlue. During the screening process, Liscovich said workers will be asked for certifications relevant to jobs they are applying for, but the app, and applications for positions that require no special training, can be accessed by anyone.

Workers can find information about shifts through the app, including how much the job pays, the location, any skills needed and the attire required. The app will also function as a way for workers to clock in and out of their shifts.

Liscovich said workers can be paid within 48 hours of completing their shifts. "Once hours are confirmed (by the business), you will be getting paid as soon as possible," he said.

Uber's new temporary labor service puts it in competition with another Chicago company. Shiftgig, the on-demand staffing platform, launched in 2011 and operating in 13 cities.

about the writer

about the writer

Abdel Jimenez