I’m a DoorDash delivery driver. I deserve both flexibility and a safety net. | Opinion

Like many others, I have been looking for ways during the pandemic to safely bring in extra income. Previously I worked as a certified nurse assistant in a Philadelphia nursing home, but in 2020 my hours were cut, leaving me in a bind. A cousin recommended that I try delivering for DoorDash to make ends meet.

The hustle of the gig economy has given me a way to do just that.

While the flexibility of app-based platforms like DoorDash has been great for me and my family, I sometimes grow concerned about missing out on the protections that come with traditional employment. I already have health insurance, but an unexpected medical expense or emergency could force me to miss work and lose out on income.

And I know I am not the only one. Workers who are “app-based” — such as those who drive with ride-share companies like Uber or Lyft or make deliveries for DoorDash or Instacart — are too often forced to choose between the freedom that means so much to us and the certainty and security that benefits provide.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Pennsylvania can provide a safety net for independent workers. As more people in Philadelphia and across the state have taken to gig work, we need to make sure everyone has the necessary protections that we all deserve.

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State lawmakers in Harrisburg are beginning to understand this. A new bill — Senate Bill 949 — would extend portable benefits to app-based workers while allowing us to maintain the flexibility and earning opportunities that are so important. Under this proposed system, the companies we work with would make payments that go toward benefits to help us make up for lost income for circumstances out of our control, like an illness.

Delivering with DoorDash for nearly two years now has given me an opportunity to do something I enjoy on my own terms. I love being my own boss and have been running my own business as an at-home hairstylist for years. I make good money — dashers make on average over $25 an hour, and I get to keep 100% of my tips. Dashing has given me an opportunity to keep growing my business while moving me closer to hitting my financial goals.

“Gig work has allowed me to fit my work around my life — not the other way around.”

I am raising a 5-year-old daughter on my own. Having the flexibility that comes from gig work lets me spend quality time with her and have the freedom to log on whenever it’s convenient for me. A few days each week, I log on after dropping her off at day care in the morning and work throughout the day, mainly around North Philadelphia or Jenkintown, until she’s ready for pick up that afternoon — usually around 10 hours a week. Having this flexibility means I can be available for her without having to worry about a set schedule. Gig work has allowed me to fit my work around my life — not the other way around.

Delivery work has also brought me closer to my community. Family is incredibly important to me, and brightening the day of homebound seniors living alone or easing errands for busy parents makes all the difference in the world.

If passed, Senate Bill 949 would allow me to keep working as much or as little as I need to while also gaining access to important benefits and protections. I am hopeful that state lawmakers will support this bill in order to extend protections to independent workers like me.

Melanie McNeal lives in Philadelphia.