Working hours for food delivery providers

[Taherco]

Hello everyone,

I am an international student (i.e., on a study permit). As everyone may know, international students can work off-campus for only 20 hours a week. I started working with Uber Eats (a food delivery service). I have a question regarding the 20-hours limit.

As an Uber driver, I need to stay "Online" in order to get food delivery orders. Uber counts the duration you spend "Online" and the actual time you spent on every delivery. The "Online" duration keeps counting even if I don't receive any orders. For example, I may stay online for 5 hours but, during that time, I only get 3 orders that take me only 1 hour to deliver. To stay within the 20-hours limit of the study permit, do I care about the actual time I spent on deliveries or the "Online" duration.

Any ideas or experiences are appreciated. Thank you.

 

[k.h.p.]

You are self-employed when you are working for Uber Eats. You're an independent contractor.

 

[Taherco]

Thanks for the reply, k.h.p.

I see, but I believe I'm still restricted to work 20 hours a week as long as I have a study permit. And my confusion is with which hours I should rely on: "Online" hours or actually delivery hours?

 

[k.h.p.]

I don't honestly know. The rules were written before work like this was popular.

 

[PMM]

Hi

Thanks for the reply, k.h.p.

I see, but I believe I'm still restricted to work 20 hours a week as long as I have a study permit. And my confusion is with which hours I should rely on: "Online" hours or actually delivery hours?

1. On line hours.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hello everyone,

I am an international student (i.e., on a study permit). As everyone may know, international students can work off-campus for only 20 hours a week. I started working with Uber Eats (a food delivery service). I have a question regarding the 20-hours limit.

As an Uber driver, I need to stay "Online" in order to get food delivery orders. Uber counts the duration you spend "Online" and the actual time you spent on every delivery. The "Online" duration keeps counting even if I don't receive any orders. For example, I may stay online for 5 hours but, during that time, I only get 3 orders that take me only 1 hour to deliver. To stay within the 20-hours limit of the study permit, do I care about the actual time I spent on deliveries or the "Online" duration.

Any ideas or experiences are appreciated. Thank you.

I would say only delivery hours, as you could be online for x hours and not make any deliveries or any money during that time. Only time directly contacted to income earned, i.e. actual deliveries, should count as work hours.

 

[k.h.p.]

I would say only delivery hours, as you could be online for x hours and not make any deliveries or any money during that time. Only time directly contacted to income earned, i.e. actual deliveries, should count as work hours.

I would be tempted to agree, since "time available" isn't directly "time worked," like with shift work you could be available 24x7, but only work a maximum of 20 per week./

 

[zardoz]

Hello everyone,

I am an international student (i.e., on a study permit). As everyone may know, international students can work off-campus for only 20 hours a week. I started working with Uber Eats (a food delivery service). I have a question regarding the 20-hours limit.

As an Uber driver, I need to stay "Online" in order to get food delivery orders. Uber counts the duration you spend "Online" and the actual time you spent on every delivery. The "Online" duration keeps counting even if I don't receive any orders. For example, I may stay online for 5 hours but, during that time, I only get 3 orders that take me only 1 hour to deliver. To stay within the 20-hours limit of the study permit, do I care about the actual time I spent on deliveries or the "Online" duration.

Any ideas or experiences are appreciated. Thank you.

Are you paid an hourly "retainer/fee" for being available during the online time? If so, that would make those hours "paid work".

 

[PMM]

Hi

I would say only delivery hours, as you could be online for x hours and not make any deliveries or any money during that time. Only time directly contacted to income earned, i.e. actual deliveries, should count as work hours.

1. Look at this way. If the OP was a cab driver, and is sitting at a stand waiting for a fare, are you saying he is not working until the fare enters the cab? Or the truck driver parked with a load waiting to unload is not working? A cook who is waiting for the next order is not working while s/he waits?
2. Be practical.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hi



1. Look at this way. If the OP was a cab driver, and is sitting at a stand waiting for a fare, are you saying he is not working until the fare enters the cab? Or the truck driver parked with a load waiting to unload is not working? A cook who is waiting for the next order is not working while s/he waits?
2. Be practical.

1. Your cook analogy is ridiculous. Cooks are generally paid hourly or on salary and are physically located in their workplace while waiting for an order. They don't go home or wait at home between tables.

If the taxi driver is self-employed and sitting at home while waiting for the fare, is s/he still working? No. They are essentially on-call. If they get no fares and don't leave their house, they didn't work. If they are at a taxi stand, they are on the job in their physical job location.

If the truck driver is sitting in their truck waiting to unload, s/he is actively on the job in their physical job location. If the driver went home because they were unable to unload, they would no longer be working.

2. And you tell me to be practical.

 

[GloryArsenal]

1. Your cook analogy is ridiculous. Cooks are generally paid hourly or on salary and are physically located in their workplace while waiting for an order. They don't go home or wait at home between tables.

If the taxi driver is self-employed and sitting at home while waiting for the fare, is s/he still working? No. They are essentially on-call. If they get no fares and don't leave their house, they didn't work. If they are at a taxi stand, they are on the job in their physical job location.

If the truck driver is sitting in their truck waiting to unload, s/he is actively on the job in their physical job location. If the driver went home because they were unable to unload, they would no longer be working.

2. And you tell me to be practical.

I agree with your examples. But in practical, OP would probably be on the road while waiting for the next order to come in. It is impossible to convince authorities that he/she is at home waiting for the request. I recommend OP to use the online time as working hours. It's better to be on the safe side.