Uber Eats Japan stops hiring foreign students for delivery

“The operator of the Uber Eats food delivery service in Japan has stopped new hires of students from overseas after facing allegations that it illegally employed overstayers last year,” according to a Japan Times report.nDetails:nnA representative from Uber Eats Japan said that the hiring freeze was due to difficulties in ensuring compliance, as the constant screening of foreign students for their visa status and school attendance “requires a lot of human resources.”nThe decision is seen to affect many foreign students who are looking for part-time jobs amid the economic fallout from the pandemic. It may also reduce service quality, as the platform will have less employees despite the growing demand for food delivery, said the report.nnDive deeper:nnIn June, Uber Japan and two of its former employees came under fire for not complying with the country’s immigration control law. The company was alleged to have hired two Vietnamese “overstayers” as food delivery staff.nRestaurants and other establishments that provide part-time work have suspended or shortened their regular operations due to the pandemic, which has led to a rise in overseas students taking up food delivery jobs in Japan.n