Uber's new app will match temporary workers with job vacancies
The gig economy giant is getting into the staffing biz for the gig economy industry.
Uber apparently left one service out of the all-in-one application it's testing. According to Financial Times and Crain's Chicago Business, the ride-hailing giant will launch a new app called Uber Works on Friday that will connect businesses with temp workers. It will initially be available in Chicago where it's been in testing for a year, though FT says Uber is exploring the possibility of a wider rollout. Uber created the service to match blue collar workers like chefs with businesses that need temporary staff to fill in the gaps in their lineup.
However, it looks like the company is being very careful not to be seen as the temp workers' employer -- the fight to recognize Uber drivers as employees is still giving the company a major headache, after all. It's teaming up with staffing agencies for this project and will sign up their W2 employees, according to Financial Times. Those agencies will take care of employment screening, verification, payroll and taxes. Uber Works head Andrey Liscovich told Crain's Chicago Business that it will also open the service to its drivers, though, so independent contractors may be able to use it as well.
As you can see from the screenshots above, it looks like workers will easily be able to see a potential gig's schedule, hours, pay, skill requirements and even dress code. Uber said the app can "eliminate bottlenecks to finding work" and will help workers sign up for new jobs without having to type in their information every single time.
