NYC passes landmark bills to protect delivery workers

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays delivery workers from getting hungry New Yorkers their food, and now, the city is finally stepping up on their behalf.

The New York City Council passed six bills Thursday intended to improve pay and working conditions for delivery workers employed by companies like GrubHub and DoorDash. New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio reportedly supports the bills, according to the New York Times.

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The bills require that workers get paid at least once a week. They also prohibit companies from making couriers pay for their own delivery equipment (like insulated bags) and charging workers a fee for getting paid.

They mandate that restaurants let delivery workers use the freaking bathroom, and that apps let workers put limits on where and when they make deliveries. The apps will also have to be more transparent about who is actually getting the tip money paid by customers. The bills also call for a study to establish a standard wage for delivery workers.

Gig worker activists who worked with lawmakers on the bills tweeted in support of their passage.

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While lawsuits around some of these practices are ongoing in multiple states, these laws are the first of their kind, and could set a new standard for gig workers and the companies who rely on their labor.