SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 13, 2018 — Today, Wonolo, the leading on-demand staffing platform enabling workers to find flexible jobs, is announcing a first-of-its-kind partnership with Waze Carpool, a service that connects riders and drivers for easier, more affordable commutes.
Together, they’ll provide Wonolo’s community of more than 300,000 local gig workers with an affordable, easy-to-use carpool system to overcome the #1 barrier to completing gigs: limited transportation options. The partnership comes on the heels of Wonolo’s $32 million Series C funding round led by Bain Capital Ventures, marking an exciting next step in Wonolo’s mission towards democratizing work and providing an often-forgotten workforce with flexible opportunities, a supportive community and access to benefits normally reserved for full-time employees.
The partnership is rolling out to the Bay Area and Chicago markets first, but will be the first step in a nationwide rollout to ensure Wonoloers across the country are given an affordable, reliable and convenient transportation option to get them to their gigs. To celebrate the launch, Waze Carpool rides will be free to all active Wonoloers commuting to a gig in the Bay Area and Chicago through the end of January.
Wonolo’s community of gig workers accept shifts across various industries, companies and schedules, meaning time flexibility is a highly valued quality on the platform. However, according to internal feedback, more than half of potential workers on Wonolo have reported that impractical transportation has limited their options when it comes to the jobs they select. Without access to better transportation resources, gig workers are forced to limit their job opportunities based on their commute options. The missed opportunity costs are tremendous for Wonoloers, and exacerbate the current seasonal labor shortages experienced by employers.
“Wonoloers are our number one priority, and we’ve heard countless feedback from them that transportation issues are their number one hurdle to overcome. This partnership with Waze Carpool was a natural next step for us – its unique carpooling solution supports our goal of ensuring temporary employees and gig workers are provided with many of the same resources and opportunities full-time employees typically receive,” said Yong Kim, CEO and Co-founder of Wonolo. “Josh Fried and the Waze Carpool team are unbeatable partners in this program, and we’re excited to team up to create a new solution to help Wonoloers sign up for jobs without worrying how they’ll get there.”
Waze Carpool, which just launched nationally in October, has already been used to simplify work commutes and increase team productivity. The partnership with Wonolo presents the company with a unique opportunity to be a valuable resource in the gig economy. Instead of connecting full-time employees that carpool to the same location, this partnership supports Wonolo’s ever-growing network of gig workers commuting to jobs across thousands of companies and multiple locations.
“We’re incredibly excited to be working with Wonolo, a progressive and exciting company leading the charge in the future of temporary work with a commitment to supporting gig economy workers,” said Josh Fried, Head of Waze Carpool. “Commuting can be a pain for anyone but with Waze Carpool, we’re making it easier for riders and drivers to carpool together while saving time, money, and the environment.”
On the Wonolo app, workers in the Bay Area and Chicago will be able to access a link to download the Waze Carpool app. From there, Wonoloers can note their availability or interest in driving or riding with others, making it easier for gig workers to avoid traffic, pick up jobs they normally wouldn’t have access to and assure a safe, timely arrival to earn their 5-star gig rating for punctuality.