China’s food delivery platforms enforce breaks for riders clocking more gig economy hours
Meituan and Ele.me are using ‘fatigue management’ systems in several cities, halting orders after 12-hour days, as work climbs in slowing economy
In a similar system imposed on China’s long-haul truck drivers, Meituan has been piloting a “fatigue management” system in select cities. This system detects prolonged working hours through the courier app, prompting riders to take a break after a certain amount of time, typically longer than 12 hours, one Meituan worker told the Post. If the suggestion is ignored, the app will eventually require the rider to go offline.
The platforms are introducing the alert system as food delivery crew, along with Uber-style taxi drivers, bear the brunt of China’s economic slowdown and weakened consumer spending, forcing them to work extremely long hours to make ends meet.
The Meituan employee with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be named because the details are not public, said once a rider reaches 12 hours, staff can “send reminders, force logouts, or stop assigning orders”.
“Meituan is listening to feedback from all parties, including riders, and continues to explore and improve our fatigue prevention mechanisms,” the company said in a statement to the Post.
