AJ O.
Google
(1) I've been using Instawork to fund my traveling spirit lifestyle for the better part of 3 years. (2) Just by opening the app and updating my address, I found work in TX, GA and NC. (3) It was exciting to work at a variety of well-known companies and magical events like sold-out concerts, cheer competitions, renaissance festivals and even a speedway race. (4) Of course you are working, but you still get to see what it is like on the inside. (5) Meals and (6) free parking were often included. (6) Once you're approved to work on the app, getting a job is as simple as a few clicks. (7) No long, obscure hiring process with uncertainty as to whether your efforts will land a paying job in a timely manner. Click-to-book and know* you're scheduled and for when. That's the good part. (1) The downside, there can be months of little to no jobs in some markets. So if you were counting on Instawork as a steady paycheck, but weren't lucky enough to lock-in a long-term project, you could be in trouble. (2) Sometimes, the actual shifts run shorter than posted - so you may not make all the money you expected for the day. (3) These are typically hourly gigs. So if you're super efficient and finish your projects early, the clients have no problem sending you home early with a "Thank you! Please, please come back." Your hard work and efficiency is then rewarded with a smaller paycheck. (4) Gig apps like DoorDash and Uber etc, charge a flat fee - like $1.99 to cash out instantly. Instawork's instant cash out fee is an outrageous 5% of your entire shift's pay. So, an 8-hour day working for $15/hour - will cost you $6 of your $120 earned. But weekly pay is free. (5) Sometimes, the "free parking" notes in the gig description are old, inaccurate or incomplete. Upon arrival, I've been met with a sizeable unexpected parking fee or no idea where the "free parking" is at a stadium or large venue event. (6) Before making them public, a human needs to review client work requests to make sure they're not missing critical details (i.e. parking, meeting spot, how meal breaks are handled, what bags and supplies you can you bring). It's very stressful to have to research the work sites on your own or face surprises after you show up. (7) There needs to be more clarity/transparency/control in how platform performance ratings are calculated - so you can know what to improve and what to dispute. I always give 110% plus on my jobs and receive overwhelmingly positive feedback from peers and supervisors. However, some of my profile metrics don't match my experience. (8) Sometimes, you're doing the same job, can be a higher pro level and maybe even working harder than someone who picked up a shift under a slightly different title or closer to the shift date than you and now they're making 50% or more than you. I don't like that. (9) When problems come up, even urgent ones like - can't find your contact to get clocked in," you're stuck with support by chatbot only and praying everything gets fixed later. It takes sometimes hours or days and multiple follow-ups to get a real human to correctly review/resolve your issue. This can be very stressful. (10) * Clients can and do cancel your shifts with at least 24 hours notice and no compensation to you. Sometimes clients book too many people or their needs change. I had at least once where I booked a weeklong gig, only to have all days except one canceled at the last minute. Overall: I do like and would recommend the Instawork app. I installed several gig apps back when I first started using Instawork. I've had way more trouble than it was worth trying to use the others. So, Instawork has been my go-to.
