Thumbtack, Alia Pair On Worker Benefits

Thumbtack and Alia have announced they are partnering on a pilot program that will bring portable benefits to independent workers on Thumbtack.

The program will enable Thumbtack customers who hire a house cleaner in California or New York to contribute a suggested $5 per cleaning, which can then be used by the professional for benefits including paid time off and disability, accident, critical illness and life insurance.

“We believe that if you work, you deserve benefits,” Ai-Jen Poo, director at the National Domestic Workers Alliance, said in a press release. “Most domestic workers have never had access to benefits, and Alia is one of the ways we’re working to solve that. Alia’s partnership with Thumbtack is an exciting opportunity to do even more.”

Thumbtack will also contribute $25 to each pro who joins Alia, up to $20,000 in total for the first six months.

“Thumbtack is committed to bringing solutions to independent workers who lack access to benefits — being independent shouldn’t mean you’re on your own,” said Thumbtack Co-Founder and CEO Marco Zappacosta. “Our pros can’t wait for the laws to change, so we are working with NDWA to bring a solution to house cleaners on Thumbtack. The biggest names in the industry are focused on using technology to eliminate the need for workers. At Thumbtack, our energy is focused on using technology to help workers find opportunity and security, and working with Alia is a step in the right direction.”

“When we look at the changing nature of work in this country, one of the biggest challenges is improving economic security for independent workers, so these kind of solutions are critical and timely,” added Alastair Fitzpayne, executive director of the Aspen Institute Future of Work Initiative. “NDWA Labs and Thumbtack are showing how technology can be a force for positive change for independent workers. Through partnerships like this, we can better understand what solutions can be scaled, which is essential to meeting the needs of an evolving workforce.”

At first, the pilot will be made available to house cleaners on the platform in New York and California. Thumbtack professionals will be able to include a link to their Alia profile in their Thumbtack profile so that their customers can start contributing to their benefits.