When you call customer service, you probably imagine that you’re talking to an employee sitting in a giant call center.
But these days, there’s a good chance the person on the other end is a solo contractor working out of her bedroom.
Airbnb, Disney, Comcast, AT&T, Amazon, Walgreens, and dozens of other big companies have turned over their customer service work to Arise Virtual Solutions — a gig platform that’s seen a huge jump in demand since the pandemic.
Going with Arise is way cheaper than hiring your own employees.
The way Arise saves money is less appealing: The company shifts the costs of equipment and training onto its independent contractors — and charges them a fee to use its platform.
But according to a ProPublica report, Arise contractors are treated like W-2 employees, sans the benefits.
Arise contractors don’t get to schedule their own time, and are required to work a minimum of 20 hours a week. With charges and fees factored in, many also earn below minimum wage with no overtime eligibility.
Even by gig work standards, the company falls short: In private arbitration, judges have concluded that the company is an “elaborate construct” to avoid treating its workers as real employees.