Updated: 2/09/2021. This topic of active time and dash time has been updated to reflect the impact of Proposition 22 on these metrics.
As a dasher, you might have noticed terms like active time and dash time in your DoorDash payment data. If you haven’t paid attention to them, they provide a lot of handy information. And with the introduction of Proposition 22, California’s drivers can use them to understand what they are entitled to by law.
Dash Time And Active Time
On DoorDash, what is the difference between active time and dash time?
Dash Time is the total time that you spend dashing. This is the time between logging into the app and logging out of it. Whether you’re waiting for an order, picking up an order from the restaurant, or dropping it off at the customer, it is all part of dash time. So, if you logged into the app at 10 AM and logged out at 2 PM, that’s 4 hours of dash time. In short, it is the duration for which you are online and on duty.
Active time, on the other hand, has more stringent requirements. It is the time for which you are actively working. It starts from the time you accept a delivery order to the time you fulfill it. Say, in an hour, you spent 10 minutes waiting for jobs and 50 minutes completing them. Your dash time is 60 minutes, but your active time is only 50 minutes. Thus, your active time will always be less than your dash time.
Why Are Active Time And Dash Time Important?
These stats can help dashers glean some vital information. For dashers, the time you spend waiting for a call is unproductive. You only make money when you’re making deliveries. With dash time and active time, you can track your idle and productive time. You can also understand how much you earn for every hour you work. If you spend a lot of time waiting or your hourly earnings are meager, dashing may not be worth your time.
How Can Active Time Help California’s Dashers?
For dashers in California, Prop 22 has made understanding these terms necessary. This necessity is because the law guarantees 120% of the minimum wage for each hour of work. This hour, however, has to be spent delivering and not waiting. This means calculations are based on active time and not dash time.
Let’s take an example to understand this further. Say you accumulate an active time of 3 hours over a 4 hour dash time. During these 3 hours, you made five deliveries and earned $39 in total. This scenario would mean $13 for every active hour. California’s minimum wage, effective 1st January 2021, is $14. Since Prop 22 requires payment of 1.2 times the minimum wage, the total comes to 3 x (1.2 x $14) = $50.4. Because the amount you earned ($39) falls short of this value, DoorDash will compensate you for the difference ($50.4 – $39 = $11.4). This way, you earn at least the mandated minimum of $50.4, excluding mileage expenses and tips. Using the active time stat, you can make your own calculations and check them against what DoorDash has paid you.
Another use of this metric is to calculate health insurance stipend eligibility. As per Prop 22, if you spend more than 15 hours a week delivering for DoorDash, you are entitled to this stipend. These calculations are also based on active time.
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Conclusion
Whether you are a dasher in California or any other state, dash time and active time can help you analyze your productivity and earnings on the DoorDash platform. With Proposition 22, drivers can use these metrics to understand how their wages and benefits are calculated. And, as similar legislation rolls out in other states, drivers everywhere can benefit from this information.
