from the driving-your-education-forward dept.
Lyft will offer its drivers access to tuition discounts and financial aid, starting with online courses offered by Guild Education:
Lyft is unveiling a new education program for drivers, offering access to discounted GED and college courses online. The move is an interesting experiment in the gig economy, where a growing class of workers receive zero benefits from a boss and yet competition for their time is fierce.
[...] Lyft drivers will receive tuition discounts ranging from 5 percent to 20 percent and, according to the company, the average driver working with Guild to earn a degree can save up to $4,220 per year. Drivers can take English as a second language and GED courses, as well as earn an associates, bachelor's or master's degree online in subjects including IT, nursing, social work, occupational therapy and business.
Lyft would not disclose how much the program will cost the company. According to a Lyft survey of drivers to be published next month, 47 percent do not have a college degree. Gabe Cohen, general manager for Lyft in Denver, says internal surveys show that drivers want to earn degrees. This move serves that goal, as well as the startup's business interests. "It is important that drivers feel loyalty to Lyft," Cohen says.
[...] David Weil, dean at Brandeis University's Heller School of Social Policy and Management, is not impressed. Weil, who was in charge of investigating companies that misclassify workers under the Obama administration, describes the move by Lyft as strategic, but not generous. Lyft and Uber are fighting in courts against claims that drivers are employees entitled to benefits like paid sick leave and health care. "The ride-hailing companies can't erase the fact that their business models are having drivers do all sorts of things an employee would do," Weil says. To offer training is "really nice" but it doesn't mean Lyft should "be rewarded by having the other responsibilities removed," he says.
From Lyft's blog post:
Dallas driver Muhammed Chan learned by speaking with passengers from all walks of life that "there is serious demand for cyber security experts in my city." As part of our pilot program earlier this year, Muhammed received support to access financial aid and scholarships through Guild, and began a cybersecurity program earlier this month.
(Score: 3, Touché) by bob_super on Tuesday December 12 2017, @08:08PM (5 children)
Not to be left behind, Uber instantly offered to finance the education of their drivers too : Network penetration and secure file deletion for the men, and pole dancing classes for the women.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Freeman on Tuesday December 12 2017, @08:37PM (4 children)
Pole dancing is a legitimate job. Though, very much not from a conservative stand point and very much a hot topic. I don't support the idea that people should be frequenting such an establishment. I do support the idea that people should be free to make their own choice. It would also be a net positive financially and for the people in the business to legalize prostitution. (Not strictly related to the pole dancing in question, but tangentially.) I'm not sure how I would vote on such a topic as I fear the consequences of legalizing what is definitively against the moral values I hold. I would more likely abstain from such a vote. Your post is rather sexist, even though it's sarcastic. In the same vein, that I don't prefer listening to XYZ Class / Race jokes.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday December 12 2017, @08:57PM
> Your post is rather sexist
It might have been a comment on the (former) Uber executives and company culture.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 12 2017, @09:52PM (1 child)
Uber has proven itself to be a sexist and hostile environment to women, the comment was funny and appropo. And please we don't need a 'miss manners' lecture from someone who has no idea what they are talking about.
So in other words, you don't really know if it's a legitimate job or not...
Well at least we agree on that point.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Thursday December 14 2017, @09:09PM
I don't live under a rock, so yes, it's a legitimate job. Otherwise, there wouldn't be nude bars. It doesn't matter that I don't support the idea. I'd go with the following definition of legitimate "accordant with law or with established legal forms and requirements" from Merriam-Webster. If you equate my original post with a lecture, perhaps you haven't heard one?
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 13 2017, @12:07AM
A Network Penetrator is a real job too. Companies hire those security professionals to attack their security systems to find holes. His joke was not sexists, not racist, and not classist. More men work in IT security and more women work in the sexual entertainment industry. Using truths to tell a joke isn't sexist. Nothing was about race or class either.
You're the one attacking pole dancers by saying it's immoral to use their services, but so long as no one looks at them it's ok to pay them to do stuff. You are free to follow your own morals whether something is illegal or not. If prostitution was legalized, such an act wouldn't compel you to participate in it. You'd be free to follow your morals and not engage in such services. The immorality would be you voting against it to deny others their choices because it's something you'd personally choose not to do. Restricting someone else's choice to engage in an activity which harms no one is the immoral act. So if such a vote ever came up, you should vote to allow it and then choose not to visit any such businesses.
Or better yet, understand that marriage for love has only existed for less than 250 years. Before that people married the person who would increase their changes of survival the most (most resources, best skills, supportive family). You can have sex as a fun, playful act without a deep emotional connection. Don't confuse love and sex and prostitution will looks far less immoral. Or are you against all fun activities? Everything from tasty food, video games, and getting a note of accomplishment from your boss are ways to activate the pleasure centers in your brain. Why do you consider the more direct physical methods to be so much different? Social media bullshitting for upvotes is far more damaging than consensual, protected sex. Poor sex education from adult who are afraid of the topic is even worse. Close to 50% of males are still sexually assaulted in USA in an effort to 'help' them.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday December 12 2017, @08:52PM (5 children)
That is something that a lot of employers understood in decades past. Not all, but many. Small businesses, private employers, larger companies - at one time they competed for the workforce they needed. There were perks available for the workers. Time off, raises, education opportunities, transportation - all sorts of things. Employee of the month could be a big thing for the individual, but it cost the company little to nothing to award some kind of prize to an outstanding employee. For craftsmen, tools have always been a great perk, no matter what craft you may have been in.
Most employers today have forgotten that they can buy a helluva lot of loyalty for cheap. The guy in shipping has an ailing child in critical condition? Take up a collection, and give him matching funds. Something like that buys more loyalty than anyone can imagine - until they are the ones who need the help.
When I was a young man, companies small and large had a mantra, "Our most valuable asset is our people." When is the last time anyone remembers hearing anything like that?
Loyalty. What a concept. Make someone's life better, in some way, and they'll actually like you - at least a little bit!
(Score: 3, Insightful) by takyon on Tuesday December 12 2017, @09:16PM (3 children)
In many cases loyalty may be more valuable than ability. You can find plenty of skilled and talented people out there, but people willing to take the fall, keep their mouths shut, or otherwise support you 100% typically must be cultivated over a long period of time. The promise of rewards can make people somewhat loyal to you, but shared ideology and goals are more effective.
But in this case, people at the driver level are unlikely to care that much about the ideology or mission of a ride-hailing service, so rewards must be provided. It's also unclear that this would stop drivers from dual-driving for both Uber and Lyft. And ultimately, Uber and Lyft are likely to throw their drivers under the driverless bus.
I guess if this keeps some drivers working for your service for 2-3 years, that's a sufficient benefit. And fully autonomous ride-hailing is probably more than decade away (although it could be adopted faster by these services than by auto-buying consumers).
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday December 12 2017, @09:54PM (2 children)
> Uber and Lyft are likely to throw their drivers under the driverless bus.
That would explain why Uber has its own autonomous car effort. You can't rely on the big automakers, or waymo, to properly code the extra reverse-over maneuver, nor to queue in the car wash trip.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 12 2017, @10:02PM
It would be nefarious, but they could make the software pretend the trunk isn't locked properly. And when they detect the driver fiddling with it, backup over them.
(Score: 3, Informative) by takyon on Tuesday December 12 2017, @10:25PM
Let's not forget that Lyft, not just Uber, is interested in offering ride-hailing of autonomous vehicles:
Lyft and Waymo (Google) Team Up for Autonomous Cars [soylentnews.org]
Lyft to Offer Autonomous Car Rides by the End of the Year [soylentnews.org] (Boston)
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Tuesday December 12 2017, @09:51PM
You are the greatest treaure of all! -- Flintheart Glomgold also by Flintheart Glomgold -- Treasure is the greatest treasure of all! (In response to a confused employee who thought he was the greatest treasure of all.) Admittedly, Lyft does seem to be much more on the side of a good company, if not great company. Though, it doesn't take a lot to be a better company than Uber.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Tuesday December 12 2017, @10:20PM (1 child)
I expect all Lyft employees get stock options; many of them will be rich after its IPO.
The drivers aren't employees and won't get squat after the IPO. Personally I'm puzzled that Lyft and Uber drivers aren't advancing on their corporate headquarters with torches and pitchforks.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 5, Insightful) by takyon on Tuesday December 12 2017, @10:29PM
Globalization and automation are continuously devaluing human labor. Unions are weaker than they have ever been. Although the stock market and capitalists are doing well in today's economy, many people are involved in the "gig economy" and are switching from job to job faster than any previous generation. Yet you wonder why a national (or international) diaspora of low-skilled drivers are not descending upon RideHeil Corporate HQ. Maybe it's because it would cost them their livelihood to drive a few states over and protest, when they are like entirely replaceable cogs in a cloud-oiled machine.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]