Can DoorDash fire you for being inactive

If you are an aspiring or current DoorDash delivery driver, you may wonder: Can DoorDash fire you if you are inactive? 

The short answer is yes, but this is not technically as straightforward as having your job terminated outright. 

DoorDash uses independent contractors instead of traditional employees, so although they can't technically "terminate" your employment with them, they can deactivate your account. 

Understanding how your inactivity will impact your job is vital to the gig economy workers who make money through services like DoorDash.

Understanding DoorDash's deactivation policy

While most people would agree that working on DoorDash can absolutely be worth it, the fear of deactivation keeps many people from starting their food delivery career.

DoorDash's deactivation policy mentions many reasons that can cause deactivation of a Dasher's account. Some are low customer rating levels, late delivery rates above threshold limits, and violation of the independent contractor agreement.

Inactivity is generally not mentioned, but long stretches of not logging into the app or not doing deliveries can lead to suspension or account deactivation.

How long does an inactive account stay on DoorDash?

DoorDash does not offer an estimated timeline for when inactivity will deactivate your account. Yet by anecdotal evidence alone, several months' inactivity will deactivate and flag your account as inactive. 

In order to prevent this, making a delivery roughly every two to three weeks will maintain your account in an active state.

Consequences of inactivity

If you don't use DoorDash for an extended period of time, several things can occur:

• Suspension or account deactivation: Your account may be suspended temporarily or permanently deactivated.
• Loss of incentives and bonuses - Inactivity will cause any incentives or bonuses to be forfeited.
• Lengthy reconnection process: Reconnection once you close your account is complicated and might require going through an appeal procedure.

Maintaining active status

Here are some valuable tips to obtain on how to stay active with DoorDash:

• Consisting of regular deliveries: Try to make one delivery at least once every two weeks.
• Contact support: Inform DoorDash support if you will be going on an extended break so that you will not be accidentally deactivated.
• Keep track of your account: Keep your account under watch and fix problems instantly.

What to do when deactivated

If your account is deactivated due to inactivity, you can appeal through support avenues provided by DoorDash. Provide any evidence or facts that will back your claim. Reactivation is not guaranteed and will depend on the facts surrounding your case.

Other shared deactivation reasons with DoorDash

While inactivity will cause deactivation, it is not the only reason that a Dasher will be locked out of his or her account. Having the complete list on hand will keep Dashers making deliveries and the money rolling in. 

Among some of the most common causes of deactivation by DoorDash are the following:

• Poor customer rating: Your customer rating must be 4.2 or better on a 1 to 5 scale based on the 100 most recent deliveries made. Your rating must be above this level; otherwise, you can get deactivated. 

• Minimum completion rate: Dashers should maintain a minimum 80% completion rate. In other words, do not cancel or drop deliveries once you take them on. Unassignments can be service-disrupting and damage the customer experience when made excessively.
• Deception: It is an offence that warrants immediate suspension. Deception could involve something such as false deliveries, having an artificial GPS location set, or having someone work on your account on your behalf.

• Unsafe behavior: If the Dasher is driving recklessly, acting rudely to customers, acting illegally, or threatening in any way, we have the right to deactivate them from the platform. Both customers' and Dashers' safety are high priorities to us.

• Referral program abuse: While DoorDash offers referral bonuses, if you try to game the system (i.e., through fake accounts), the answer to the question “Can DoorDash fire you if you are inactive?” will be sound and clear because you will be banned permanently.

• Term of service violation: A term that covers practices like bots to pick up shifts, cycling on a bike when your account is registered with a car, or multiconning.

To see the most up-to-date and correct details, Dashers may consult the official deactivation policy of DoorDash. Getting informed will be the first step to staying active.

What happens after DoorDash deactivation?

Being deactivated on DoorDash is like having the rug yanked out from under your feet, especially if your main source of income comes from gigging. However, if you know what to expect and how to react, it might make all the difference in the world.

Loss of access instantly

The moment your account is deactivated, you will no longer be able to log into the Dasher app.

You will receive an email explaining the reason for deactivation, although sometimes the information will not be very clear-cut. It is important to check your email so that you do not miss any important messages.

Appeal process

If your account has been deactivated for some reasons above, you can appeal to have your account re-activated. You can find DoorDash's Dasher Deactivation Appeals Form, and there are no assurances your account will be re-activated. 

In general, fraud and unsafe driving are prohibited permanently. If your account has been deactivated due to your rating or activity level drop, you could be in luck. 

Loss of benefits and programs

Deactivation will make you forfeit any premium programs that you had access to prior to deactivation, like the Large Orders Program, Early Scheduling, or Top Dasher/Platinum status. 

In the event that you are reactivated in the future, you will be required to requalify from the initial stage to become qualified.

Impact on gig economy work

Gig workers are able to hop between platforms like Uber Eats, Grubhub, and Instacart. De-activation on one platform like DoorDash does not stop you from working with others, yet bad behavior and your ratings on all platforms will eventually catch up with you.

It is, therefore, well worth keeping your record spotless wherever you're delivering. 

Back on the road

Having easy access to reliable transportation is the simplest way for most to maintain stability and avoid subsequent problems. With access to a reliable e-bike like the Storm-2, Dashers can make more deliveries with fewer efforts and stay active and on the platform. 

As a delivery rider, you need reliable equipment. Whizz equips the Storm-2 e-bike with a 25mph top speed and 85-mile charge life. The e-bike is designed to meet the needs of gig workers to deliver and maintain your active status.

Final thoughts 

So, can DoorDash fire you if you're inactive? While they are not able to "fire" you technically, an extended period of inactivity will mean your account will be deactivated.

To avoid this, make sure you are maintaining an active presence on the site and communicating with support if you must take time off work.

Having reliable equipment can make it easy to stay active and efficient in your delivery work. That is why we recommend you to get on the Storm-2 e-bike to begin your delivery journey.