Chinese food delivery giant Ele.me apologises for setting drivers ‘impossible’ targets for Lunar New Year bonuses
- The platform had offered a series of incentives for couriers to stay put over the country’s busiest holiday to curb the spread of Covid-19
- But many drivers complained that the targets they had to meet to qualify for extra cash were unrealistic
Chinese food delivery giant Ele.me has apologised after its couriers accused the platform of setting impossible targets for holiday bonus pay.
The company had tried to incentivise its couriers to stay put and continue working over Lunar New Year as the government sought to discourage travel to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Under its system of incentives, the company offered rewards for completing a set number of deliveries over seven different phases starting on January 11 and running until the end of the month. Drivers receive extra cash if they hit the target for three of the seven-day periods and could make 8,200 yuan ($1,264) if they complete the full set.
But couriers have complained that the targets were impossible to reach.
A rider surnamed Si told The Beijing News that the sixth phase began during the holidays when many shops were not open.
“You need to complete 380 deliveries, but I only got 23 deliveries in more than eight hours,” he said.