When Storms Shape Food Courier Work
September 15, 2026
Story and edits by Anne MacLaurin and Project Amplify
As climate change intensifies extreme weather events, understanding how precarious gig workers in urban environments manage increased occupational hazards is critical. App-based food delivery is often marketed as a green alternative to automobile delivery, but little is known about the environmental justice implications for workers exposed to harsh weather conditions.
Cold, ice, snow and rain can make delivery work considerably more difficult and dangerous, yet the people (gig workers) most exposed to these conditions may have the fewest options for avoiding them.
New research by UVic sociologist Anelyse Weiler and PhD candidate Jen Kostuchuk examines what happens when the risks created by extreme weather become part of the job—and, importantly, who ends up paying the cost. It underscores the need for better labour protections and awareness among consumers, policymakers, and platform companies to ensure safer working conditions in a changing climate.
New research
“The costs can fall disproportionately on migrant workers, many of whom are newcomers to Canada or international students,” says Weiler. “Many are also racialized men working in jobs where income can be unpredictable and access to safety equipment and workplace protections may be limited.”
The study draws on 50 in-depth interviews conducted between November 2022 and July 2023 with delivery couriers in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. Participants used a range of vehicles—including bicycles, electric bikes, scooters and cars—and were asked about their experiences working through challenging and hazardous weather. From these conversations, researchers identified three broad ways that couriers responded to weather-related risks.
Some workers took on what the researchers describe as the Daredevil role, accepting dangerous conditions and even taking pride in their ability to navigate them. Others were Wishful Thinkers, who recognized that the weather could be hazardous but continued working, hoping that they would avoid an accident or other harm. Wary Withdrawers, by contrast, were more likely to stop working when conditions became too dangerous, even when doing so meant giving up income. Importantly, these were not fixed identities: a courier might respond differently depending on the severity of a storm, their financial circumstances or how much they felt they could afford to risk on any given day.
How does technology shape choices?
Technology also plays an important role in shaping these choices. Delivery apps can use algorithms and other behind-the-scenes rules to influence when and where couriers work, sometimes offering higher pay during periods of particularly difficult weather. At the same time, workers may be evaluated on factors such as how quickly they accept orders, pick them up and complete deliveries. Together, these signals can create pressure to keep moving, even when conditions are unsafe.
“The findings raise a broader question about climate justice,” says Kostuchuk. “Environmental benefits of these services should not come at the expense of people doing the work.”
“Our findings also have important legal and policy implications,” says Anelyse Weiler. She points to the example of lawyers at Ecojustice, who recently represented cycling advocates in a high-profile case asserting that Ontario’s anti-bike lane law violated the Canadian Charter of rights and freedoms. “Our study shows how the quality of active transportation infrastructure in Canadian cities is increasingly becoming a workplace safety issue, especially for vulnerable road users like cyclists.”
As extreme weather becomes more frequent and intense, understanding who is exposed to those conditions—and who has the power to decide whether work continues—will become increasingly important. For delivery couriers, a storm is not simply something happening outside the workplace. It can become part of the workplace itself, with real consequences for safety, health and income.
Read the full study to learn more.