Ethical Standpoint

What should instacart do

The company should the following several courses of action, Enlist drivers as traditional employees/ offer minimum wage per hour active shopping in addition to tips. Offer drivers some form of protective gear in the in-store locations at either tops or wegmans, The way in which someone proves they are an active instacart worker is by using a code or something similar to have the items given to them (Instacart boasts its status as a technical company so this should be no issue). Lastly the company should move to entirely left at door orders for the time being because while many customers respect social distancing many do not understand/ or don’t respect it and it puts drivers at risk. The ethical framework behind my reasoning is utilitarianism  ( doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people) , this framework provides a better outcome /insights into my solution because it explains the reasoning behind my solutions. More workers over all means more deliveries which means less people traveling overall and that stops the spread. The reason this framework is more advantageous than for example an egoistic approach is that in times like this focusing on oneself could result in death,illness and overall harm to oneself and others. If everyone considers the next person and not themselves then the spread of the virus will stop and we can lower the curve at an exponential rate. 

Now while there are other options such as closing down the service or reducing the staff they aren’t as efficient or effective and would not deliver the best results to customers nor employee’s.

What have others said about the situation

From shoppers to senates the common ideal is that the company is not doing the right thing by its delivery drivers ,They aren’t being provided with extra backup from the company in the times of the pandemic. Elizabeth Warren said “these workers perform essential delivery work and are critical to serving customers who cannot leave home during the pandemic”  and “you (instacart’s CEO) have a responsibility to protect their health and the public’s health”. Instacart worker Sarah Polito stated in an interview to Market-watch “While we believe we deserve more, we believe the customer deserves more, too,” she said, adding: “Anybody who works at this point deserves hazard pay.” . Another Instacart employee Heidi Carrico calls the current situation “It’s been an absolute sh*t show.” and says the company is “exploiting desperation” essentially taking advantage of the situation. 

All these people have provided what are agreeable and educated comments on the situation, Many customers who use instacart are people who would be at risk. The elderly , those who have a preexisting condition , Those who work as nurses and so on and so forth. So many different individuals are taking advantage of the app and traveling much less which helps slow the spread . Despite the increase in revenue instacart is still being finicky with what the right choices are for its workers. Heidi has the most detailed and accurate representation of what it’s like to shop  batches will be double and triple orders but the pay will be ill-proportionate to the effort time and work. Customers themselves have also had complaints of me showing up to deliver the orders they placed early, sometimes up to three days, while others are reporting that orders have been late and delayed.

Click to access 2020.04.01%20Letter%20from%20Senator%20Warren%20to%20Instacart.pdf

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/04/01/nation/elizabeth-warren-calls-uber-eats-instacart-others-classify-workers-employees/

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/is-this-batch-worth-me-going-to-this-store-and-possibly-bringing-home-covid-19-what-life-is-like-for-one-striking-instacart-worker-2020-04-01

https://slate.com/technology/2020/03/an-instacart-worker-on-why-shes-striking.htmlh

What was The response the company had about the situation

The company is taking the corona virus very seriously well at least that’s  what they’d have you believe. While the company hasn’t completely forsaken its workers it initially was only offering the bare minimum which was up to two weeks of paid leave for those diagnosed with the corona virus. It’s only after many employees performed a strike on Monday march 30th that the company began to offer or set in motion the means for protective equipment for its workers. As of April 1st there’s still no mention of hazard pay for delivery drivers  who continue to fulfill orders , only In-store shoppers , shift leads and site managers are receiving any form of bonus. The company hasn’t issued any form of public response nor has it issued any in house info as of April 1st nor have they done anything new as of the strike. 

https://www.cnet.com/news/instacarts-quiet-covid-19-warning-to-some-workers-you-mightve-been-exposed/

Background Info on instacart

“Our mission is to create a world where everyone has access to the food they love and more time to enjoy it together”

Instacart Careers | Jobs, Life and Culture at Instacart | Apply Now!

“Our vision is to be the world leader in online grocery.”

Instacart is an online grocery delivery service where a customer can order practically anything from a selection of stores which include Wegmans, Costco, Tops, Petco, Aldi, CVS, Price right and more depending on the region. The company operates by connecting customers to one of two shoppers either an in store shopper who remains in a specific store for the duration of their shift or a full service shopper who travels from location to location to complete delivery. Both shoppers can shop for the items however full service has more mobility in where they shop as currently in store shoppers are only located in wegmans or tops ( in The NY region). Personally speaking the company operates in a fairly straightforward and efficient manner from an employee side there can be a few hiccups when customers are unclear but for the most part employees are self sufficient. 

The company has come under fire in the past for some of its actions but this was before my employment so i can only speak what’s already spoken publicly. Currently all past controversies have been addressed for full service , while In-store shoppers seem to be relatively unfazed but this is more than likely due to the support in store shoppers receive from shift-leads and site managers. The company does have a high turnover rate however as its always hiring and replacing employees who leave for one reason or another. 

What is the current ethical situation?

The current ethical issue being faced by Instacart is the lack of protective equipment and the lack of hazard pay for its workers.

Instacart employees from in store shoppers all the way to full service and even shift leads are not being provided with some form of equipment to protect themselves and others from COVID-19. This has left many employees furious as they are at risk and considered an essential job in these confusing and trying times. The company provides a service that allows for the ordering and delivery  of groceries and other amenities from several grocery locations from the comfort of home. However this means two things the workers must travel for the customers, Putting them at higher risk due to more chances for exposure. Instacart isn’t the only company however who provides the service and it along with many other companies are in big name news.New York times, Business insider , The Washington post ,etc are examples of media outlets reporting on the situation. It’s even reached reddit where many different people are voicing their concerns on the matter.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/03/30/coronavirus-cases-could-soar-blacks-latinos-and-native-americans/2917493001/

https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-instacart-workers-strike-hazard-pay-hand-sanitizer-automatic-tip-2020-3

Instacart shoppers plan strike over treatment during pandemic
by innews