1,000 signatures reached
To: Shipt CEO Kamau Witherspoon
Shipt: Resolve Tip Issues and End Ongoing Wage Theft
We demand that Shipt take immediate action to ensure shoppers are paid the full amount that they earn by taking steps to resolve major tipping issues related to its service:
Shipt must immediately resolve issues shoppers have been raising for months about missing and unpaid tips, recognizing that the issue is systemic in nature and points to major flaws within Shipt’s app and payment processes.
Shipt must make tipping possible for all customers, including those who order through Target’s website.
Shipt must do more to encourage customers to provide tips at levels in line with industry norms. Customers are too often led to believe that tips are an added bonus instead of something that in the vast majority of cases, we depend upon to pay their bills.
Finally, Shipt must create a transparent process that allows shoppers to audit their tips and report missing wages.
Why is this important?
Shoppers are dedicated to providing the high-quality service that our customers expect and work hard to earn tips to supplement our modest base wages. For months, we have experienced issues with tipping that Shipt has failed to take seriously or rectify.
Shoppers have reported tips they receive that are not paid out, or are submitted by customers but not collected and paid to the shopper. When we bring these issues to Shipt’s attention, we are almost always treated as though we are lying or trying to receive compensation we don’t deserve. We are ignored and forced to jump through hoops to ensure we receive the proper pay.
Tips are a fundamental part of Shipt’s pay structure, and should be treated as such. For months, customers have expressed concerns when placing orders on certain devices, especially through Target’s website, they are not even given the opportunity to tip. As we put their health on the line to deliver essential items during a global pandemic, Shipt should do more to ensure all customers have the opportunity to tip, and that they are encouraged to do so at a level that is in line with industry standards. Too frequently, we go the extra mile for customers who are not properly informed (by Shipt) about how tipping works and when it is expected.
We understand that mistakes happen, and for that reason we believe there should be a standardized and transparent process for reporting missing tips. Shipt should work to create a process in which shoppers can audit their tips, identify discrepancies, and report them to the company, without being left in the dark, ignored, or treated with suspicion.
As an app-based company, Shipt bears full responsibility for the app’s functionality. Whether by design or in error, when shoppers are not paid the amount they rightfully earn, this is a form of wage theft.
