Shakeela Banu transitioned from working at a Bengaluru salon to joining Urban Company (UC), an app-based home services platform with over 52,000 workers across Indian cities, one-third of whom are women. Initially content with her role as a beautician on call, Banu valued her manager’s support and the steady flow of work. Throughout her tenure, she estimates serving around 3,000 customers and remained loyal to her employer by declining private service requests. Urban Company implemented new regulations last year, mandating workers to maintain high ratings of 4.7 or above out of 5, accept 70 percent of job leads, and limit cancellations to four per month to avoid profile blocking. Banu was among those whose profiles were suspended due to perceived low ratings. These measures, according to the company’s blog, aim to elevate operational standards and enhance customer satisfaction. Plans are underway for even stricter rules, where workers must accept at least 80 percent of jobs and allow only three cancellations. Failure to meet these criteria results in warnings and mandatory retraining sessions, either online or offline. If performance metrics remain unsatisfactory, profiles are blocked. While online retraining is free, workers face fees ranging from 6,000 to 15,000 rupees (about $72 to $180) for in-office training. Urban Company operates on a pay-to-work model, labeling workers as “independent partners” provided with clientele and professional training. Pre-qualification for UC jobs incurs various costs, including training, onboarding, product fees, and a monthly subscription, totaling around 50,000 rupees (about $600). Additionally, UC charges a commission fee of up to 25 percent on each job, excluding travel expenses and vehicle rentals, leaving workers to cover these costs.
