San Francisco-based food delivery company DoorDash Inc. announced today it will try something rather novel, and that’s to hire full-time workers on top of its gig workers.

The company said it’s setting up an “ultra-fast” grocery delivery service in the New York City neighborhood of Chelsea, which is part of its DashMart delivery service. This will start in Chelsea but will soon be available in other neighborhoods in New York, with more cities coming soon.

DoorDash promises that items will get to the delivery location within 10 to 15 minutes. To achieve this, the company will hire full-time and part-time staff as part of the DashCorps, people who won’t be hired as gig workers. These employees will be considered part of the company and will receive company benefits, such as medical, dental and vision insurance. DoorDash said the going rate will be $15 an hour, plus whatever tips the drivers pick up.

“The work associated with powering instant delivery from DashMarts is fundamentally different from dashing, and it requires individuals looking for a different type of work,” the company detailed in a press release. “DashCorps employees will complete a variety of tasks beyond delivery, including shelf-stocking, customer support and administrative work.”

These staff will work around 20 hours per week, with their schedules not flexible. They will also likely have to wear uniforms and do old-fashioned things such as reporting to a manager. Moreover, the app they use will be one specially designed for the new positions.

The first location in Chelsea will stock about 2,000 items, which will include regular groceries such as fresh and frozen foods, with some of the items made locally. DoorDash added that it will soon expand to bring more local bodegas to DashCorps. The DashMart will be open from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily, with the new delivery staff using e-bikes with a top speed of 20 mph to get to their destination.

For a long time now, the gig economy has come under criticism from its employees and from outside regarding the hardships contractors face. DoorDash has been one of a few companies to be vocal about not wanting to give its contractors employment rights. Its contractors in the past have been equally vocal about how tough their job is and how little they get paid. It seems now that DoorDash is doing an about-face.

“We’re proud to be a leader in providing economic opportunities that fit the lives of so many people,” DoorDash President Christopher Payne said in a statement. “And now, we’re excited about the new employment opportunity that DashCorps offers for a different type of work.”

Photo: Tony Webster/Flickr