It’s been a few years since we last heard the catchphrase “there’s an app for that.” It is likely because so many apps have been created in the years since the first Iphone was introduced that there is literally a smartphone app for everything. After all, who knew that apps for Uber and Ibotta would be popular?
In following this theme, it appears that a new app for California’s day laborers is ready. According to a story reported by the New York Times, workers will be able to rate employers much like consumers can rate businesses like they are able to do so on Yelp.
In the true sense of being connected, day laborers may send instant messages to each other through the app regarding potential jobs. This is will be especially important so that workers can make informed decisions about which jobs to take.
In addition to commenting on employers, workers may log their hours, take pictures of jobsites and publicly identify employers that have a history of withholding wages so that other day laborers can avoid them. For day laborers, wage theft is a constant problem that often goes unpunished, largely because the laborers do not have a voice. They often live in fear of being discovered as being illegal which could possibly lead to deportation and the breakup of their families.
Further, the app can help in stockpiling information about unsafe worksites. While day laborers may not qualify for workers compensation benefits, employers still have a duty to maintain safe work sites, and violations can lead to hefty penalties.
