Wonolo Becomes First Company to Give Gig Workers Paid Flex Time Off as Part of Comprehensive Portable Benefits

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Wonolo, the leading platform disrupting the temporary staffing industry, has announced today Wonolo Up, a comprehensive set of portable benefits designed to meet the needs of a flexible workforce.

As a part of Wonolo Up, workers on the platform can earn paid Flex Time Off (FTO), connect to a wide range of benefits like health and dental insurance, and get access to jobs that pay living wages.

"We do not believe that workers should have to choose between having flexibility or having benefits. For the first time, workers can work when and where they want to, while still having access to benefits that historically come with traditional employment," said Yong Kim, CEO of Wonolo. "We see this as the next step forward for the future of work. We envision a world where in-demand workers have the autonomy to decide when and where they work without sacrificing the ability to take care of their loved ones, themselves, or to save for the future." 

Wonolo Up is seamlessly integrated into Wonolo's technology platform. Flex Time Off (FTO) will be built directly into Wonolo's mobile app. As Wonoloers reach different thresholds of hours worked, they will accrue FTO. Workers will be able to use their FTO the following month for whatever reason they want – such as a day off, a vacation, or a last-minute emergency.

Using MIT's Living Wage Calculator, Wonolo will promote businesses on the platform that set wages at or above the living wage. Currently, half of all jobs posted on Wonolo meet or exceed local living wages. By the end of 2020, Wonolo's goal is for 100% of jobs on the platform to be set at a living wage.

In addition to both paid FTO and living wage jobs, Wonolo Up will help connect Wonoloers with a comprehensive and flexible set of portable benefits. The growing list includes:

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Wonolo has partnered with Stride Health to help Wonoloers gain access to health, dental, vision, and life insurance.
• Free HSA: Wonolo has partnered with Starship to connect Wonoloers with a free mobile health savings account (HSA).
• Dental: Wonolo has partnered with Bento, a modern alternative to dental insurance, to help Wonoloers access pay-as-you-go dental care.
• Tax preparation: Wonolo has partnered with Keeper Tax to help Wonoloers prepare their taxes.

"Wonolo Up is a game changer for me," said Ashley Hawkins, a Wonoloer in Dallas, TX. "Because of Wonolo, I can have flexibility to work when and where I want while also having benefits that travel with me. The idea of paid flex time off is huge. This is something that will help me continue to put my family first while also earning a living."

Building on a Strong Foundation of Benefits

Wonolo Up represents the latest step in Wonolo's commitment to setting the highest bar for connecting in-demand workers with benefits. Other benefits on Wonolo include:

• Fair and Accessible Pay: We are transparent in our app about the pay that is offered for each job. We also do not let any business post a job for less than the local minimum wage.
• Wonolo doesn't permit businesses to post any job or take any other action that promotes mistreatment of a worker based on his or her membership in a protected class. Indeed, Wonolo's model of letting Wonoloers choose only the jobs they want has almost completely erased the gender pay gap. Women on Wonolo earn 98% of what men do--and the 2% difference is only based on the jobs workers choose. See our data here.
• Wonoloers typically get paid 1-3 days after a job is completed vs. the traditional 2-week pay period. Shortening the payment cycle helps people with their cash flow, paying bills, and making rent.
• Portable Occupational Accident Insurance: All Wonoloers are covered by Occupational Accident Insurance (OAI) that protects them in case of an accident while working jobs accepted through the Wonolo App. Unlike the traditional workers compensation coverage, OAI is portable and follows Wonoloers regardless of which company they work with on the Wonolo App. We are proud that the OAI coverage we help connect Wonoloers with has $1m in coverage, which is considered best-in-class. It also includes disability benefits, which are also historically uncommon for independent contractors.
• Portable, Two-Sided, Performance Ratings
• Businesses rate each Wonoloer after a job is completed using the "Five Ps:" — Prepared, Professional, Positive, Polite, and Punctual. Wonoloers who maintain a top rating on the platform get priority access to more jobs and higher earning potential over time.
• Further, Wonoloers rate each job they perform through the Wonolo app. Wonolo aggregates and displays those ratings to other Wonoloers, which allows the community to better understand the job opportunity before selecting it.
• Portable Digital 'Resume' that shows experience / industry skills
• Wonoloers can achieve profile badges by demonstrating certain skills or meeting specific requirements. Wonoloers earn industry-specific badges by accepting work and receiving high ratings from requesting businesses. Badges help Wonoloers get priority access to the jobs they rank the highest.
• Access to Full-Time Jobs
• Because Wonolo lets workers demonstrate their on-the-job skills, they sometimes turn into permanent work. In January 2020 alone, businesses hired about one hundred Wonoloers that they had met through work on Wonolo's platform.
• Flexibility
• Wonoloers can work four different jobs in a week, the same job for two weeks, or one job every couple of months. They retain complete discretion over which jobs they'll accept and when and where they'll accept them. Wonolo makes it possible for Wonoloers to establish a schedule that is as flexible as they would like it.

About Wonolo

Wonolo, which stands for "Work Now Locally", is disrupting the temporary staffing industry. Founded in 2014, Wonolo's tech-enabled marketplace connects businesses that need workers with hundreds of thousands of individuals who are seeking work in local markets across the country. Wonolo's mission is to empower the in-demand workforce^TM and every day Wonolo works towards its vision to make work, work^TM.

Contact
Jared Favole, Wonolo
[email protected]

SOURCE Wonolo Inc.

Related Links

https://www.wonolo.com