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THE NIGHT SHIFT TAB: Uber offers discounted rides and meals for night workers as clocks go back
More than four million UK night workers are expected to spend an extra hour on shift when the clocks go back on Sunday 25 October, according to data cited by Uber. The company is offering workers in London and Manchester up to £10 off a ride or an Uber Eats order as part of its Night Shift Tab campaign.
Uber says digital billboards in nightlife areas of London and Manchester will display the codes. They will also be distributed through partnerships with UKHospitality and the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA).
The campaign comes as the clocks change during a busy period for the UK’s night-time economy, which the supplied figures value at £160 billion a year. Research cited by Uber found nearly four in 10 night shift workers feel their work receives less recognition than daytime staff, while 67% believe the public does not understand the experience of working nights in the run-up to the festive season.
Andrew Brem, General Manager at Uber UK, said: “We have world-class nightlife here in the UK, but it only exists because of the people keeping it alive behind the scenes. While the clocks going back gives many of us a longer night out, or a nice lie-in, it also means an extra hour of graft for people working at night. Picking up their tab in London and Manchester this weekend is our way of showing up for the people keeping the cities running, making sure an easy ride home or a hot meal will be on the way at the end of their longest shift.”
Allen Simpson, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: “Our teams are at the heart of hospitality. Without them, we simply wouldn’t be able to deliver the fantastic experiences we’re known for as a sector. Their contributions at work to deliver for their customers are invaluable but for many of our teams, particularly in the nighttime economy, how they get home quickly and safely is rightly their main focus at the end of a shift.
“The clocks going back makes that one shift a year all the more unusual and this is a fantastic initiative from Uber to support our teams, helping them to get home and grab a bite to eat after a busy shift.”
Uber is also announcing support for drivers and couriers on its platform. In London and Manchester, it will match tips received by drivers between midnight and 8am on Sunday 25 October. An incentive is planned for couriers working in both cities on Saturday night. In London, couriers will be offered bike helmets, reflective bands and a free hot drink at participating stores.
Uber said the campaign builds on previous support for people working through the night, including nine years of Christmas support for NHS and healthcare staff. It also said drivers and couriers earn on its platform overnight throughout the year.
