The company has appealed through website Mumsnet to find new drivers across the UKUber’s recent recruitment drive is aimed specifically at mums, offering flexible working hours, working around their schedules.
Its email said: “If you’re searching for a job that will fit around family life, then why not consider becoming a partner driver with Uber and choose your own hours? Seeking drivers across the UK except for London.”
More than five million people use Uber and it has more than 60,000 drivers but only 1,000 of these are women.
Fred Jones, Uber’s head of cities for the UK and Ireland, said: “Tens of thousands of licensed private hire drivers have partnered with us because there are no shifts or minimum hours – drivers log in and out as they please.
“This makes Uber an ideal option for mothers who want to fit making money around looking after their children.”
Uber has attracted much media coverage and criticism for treating their drivers as partners rather than employees, which means they are not entitled to basic employment rights such as maternity leave, paid breaks or sick pay.
In November, it lost an appeal against a ruling that drivers should be treated as workers.
However, the company claims that around 80 per cent of its drivers would rather be self- employed as they like the job flexibility.
Uber driver and mother-of-three Zoey William, of west London, who works about 30 hours a week, said: “It’s the flexibility. I can take the kids to school, go shopping, collect one of them if they have been ill or had an accident.
“I think it will get more popular with mums.”
Mumsnet CEO Justine Roberts said: “Mumsnet users have told us flexibility is key for balancing work and family life.
“Uber could be a good solution for those who want to be in complete control of their day-to-day working hours.”
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