Grubhub sets default tip to $0

Loot boxes work for convincing unskilled labor to work below minimum wage.

“Hi. I find the opinion you're expressing here abhorrent. People can't take care of themselves, learn, grow or adapt. We need government to protect them from the wolves in our society. I will be downvoting you now. Thank you.”

This presumes there are alternate jobs available quickly and easily enough to cover immediate needs.

Secondarily, it indeed assumes that the drivers have the skill to understand depreciation of the vehicle, cost of repairs, etc., or expected costs of healthcare over time, which, bluntly, I’d be surprised if most people on this forum could calculate correctly enough. Alternatively, it’s possible that drivers are knowingly mortgaging the car to cover short term needs - in other words, that the math doesn’t pen out and yet people are still engaging because they’re under duress.

Finally, it assumes absent state intervention that there’s any kind of parity in negotiation between the drivers and the company, or any way for them to affect what is a transparently lopsided power dynamic.

If AB5 was bad, then a good reaction would be to lobby the state legislature to amend it. Prop 22 doesn’t just circumvent AB5: it makes it virtually impossible to improve it via the legislative route.

Here is the specific language:

After the effective date of this chapter, the Legislature may amend this chapter by a statute passed in each house of the Legislature by rollcall vote entered into the journal, seven-eighths of the membership concurring, provided that the statute is consistent with, and furthers the purpose of, this chapter.

This means two things:

1) To make a change that is consistent with the purpose of prop 22 (that is to say, that proponents of prop 22 would agree to), an 7/8 congress majority is required. This is highly unusual, and not a coincidence: to achieve such a majority requires getting the California GOP on board. California Republicans are mostly irrelevant at the state level, but they have endorsed prop 22, and this is their reward: a permanent veto over any incremental changes to a crucial section of California labor law.

2) To make a change that is inconsistent with the purpose of prop 22 (for example to reverse it), a new ballot measure must be adopted. Although that is technically not impossible, in practice it may as well be. Uber and Lyft spent $80m on this ballot measure, and could easily double that if required. Their natural opponents, unions, could barely raise $5m the first time around. They simply don’t have pockets deep enough to compete.

Whether you supported or opposed AB5, it should be common sense that California’s democratically elected congress should have authoroty over California law. Prop 22 establishes a new reality where that is no longer the case: for $80m dollars, you can essentially buy yourself a permanent exemption. That is incredibly dangerous.

Tipping is ethically required in some instances such as when a lower wage is permitted and paid to in-house servers. That is fine, but tipping culture is out of control in the USA. When a tip becomes required it is no longer a tip and we should stop pretending it is. Grubhub has the ability to change this situation right now, over night. Simply add a new 20% delivery charge onto their fees.

How am I punishing anyone as a consumer when their employer isn't paying them enough?

By not tipping, the poster is doing something about the system. If you make less money as a driver because people are not tipping, you're going to either go to another service or stop delivering altogether. That's a slow change, and some drivers will be adversely affected by it, but just because a solution isn't instant and affects parties not directly at blame doesn't mean it's not a solution.

Dude by setting the default to $0 they are definitely punishing workers, so the question is whether or not to reward Grubhub with drivers if they are going to be so greedy.

I'm sure the cashier at the gas station is underpaid as well. Is it my responsibility to tip them to ensure they have a livable wage? What about your grocery bagger? Do they get a tip? Why are some jobs given this consideration, but others aren't?

That is absolutely not true. I've eaten at and will continue to return to several restaurants that pay their workers (all of them, not just the servers) a fair wage, where tipping is not at all encouraged. I imagine my server might not turn it down if slipped them a $5 anyway, but the business model of these places is made to run without tips.