Product of the Day
Gig workers get insurance cover
South African “gig technology” service M4Jam has launched personal accident cover for all location-based jobs sourced through its platform.
While temporary, freelance and contract workers have borne the brunt of ballooning unemployment in the wake of Covid-19, M4Jam has picked up international plaudits for its policies on fair pay, fair working conditions and fair management.
M4Jam links jobbers with training and work tasks when organisations need micro-tasks completed, allowing jobbers to either earn income through the platform. It has been especially effective in location-based work, such as mapping validation and image capturing.
Now M4Jam has partnered with Shomang Insurance Brokers and Bryte Insurance to offer personal accident cover for any injuries that might occur when completing a job on-site or a location-based task. The policy takes effect every time a job is accepted off the M4Jam platform.
“For years temporary and contract work has been seen as the poor relation of permanent employment because of the lack of employee benefits,” says Georgie Midgley, M4Jam CEO. “We are quickly moving towards a situation where jobbers can feel comfortable and safe accepting tasks because they know they are backed up by our fair work practises and policies.
“We have done all we can to cushion our registered jobbers from the impact of Covid-19 through providing financial assistance and personal protection assistance, and now we are ensuring that no jobber has to bear the burden of injuries while completing tasks coordinated by the platform.”
M4Jam is the registered policy holder, given the complexity of insuring a broad and diverse jobber database. This simplifies the claim process in the event of an injury occurring while completing a job or task on-site. The jobber completes and submits a digital claim form available from the app and follows its instructions. M4Jam provides support through the process to facilitate a hassle-free claim experience.
Each jobber is covered from acceptance of the job to 8pm the same day, which allows for an hour grace period to commute back home. The insurance policy covers accidental death, permanent disablement, medical emergency, disappearance and other potential costs.
“This is a major step in securing the rights of temporary workers and their beneficiaries and is a great drawcard for the gig economy as a viable alternative to permanent employment in a country that has struggled so desperately with unemployment,” says Midgley.
