London, UK: Uber has launched a new initiative offering 20 hours of free childcare to all UK drivers for the rest of 2025.
The move is part of an effort to attract more women to the profession by making it easier for parents to balance work and family life. The childcare will be provided through the babysitting and nannying app Bubble, and drivers can use the allowance flexibly, even outside of working hours.
Uber UK General Manager Andrew Brem emphasized the company’s commitment to increasing female participation in ride-hailing. “We really, really would like to attract more female drivers onto the Uber platform,” he said, adding that the free childcare program aims to familiarize drivers with convenient childcare options.
The initiative follows a successful pilot involving 1,000 drivers, with 96% of participants reporting that it helped them take on more work.
The scheme, now extended to Uber’s 100,000 UK drivers, will be evaluated at the end of the year to determine its future. Brem expects that, initially, existing drivers will benefit the most, but he hopes the initiative will encourage more women to consider driving for Uber.
However, the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which represents drivers, criticized the initiative, calling it a “cynical PR stunt.” The union argued that Uber should instead raise driver pay to allow them to afford time off with their families. “Uber’s insultingly low fees force drivers to spend so long on the roads that in many cases, relationships rupture and families are broken up,” the IWGB said in a statement.
Uber has faced growing dissatisfaction among drivers, with recent strikes over pay concerns. In October, drivers in Glasgow reported declining wages despite fare increases.
In January, striking drivers expressed frustration over long hours keeping them away from their families. Addressing these concerns, Brem acknowledged that drivers would always want higher earnings but emphasized Uber’s focus on increasing ride demand to improve overall earnings.
As part of its efforts to increase transparency, Uber now provides drivers with a weekly breakdown of their earnings versus the share taken by the company. Brem also noted that post-pandemic, there was a period of unusually high earnings due to high demand, but wages have since stabilized.
Among those who benefited from the childcare pilot is Tania Naseer, a mother of three who has been driving for Uber for seven years. She described the program as a “massive boost,” allowing her to balance work and personal time.
“Now, I can hire a sitter for the weekend, work during peak hours, and also go out with friends,” Tania said. While she acknowledged that a pay rise would be ideal, she expressed satisfaction with how the initiative is currently working.
Brem hopes the scheme will encourage drivers to continue using the childcare service beyond the free hours, recognizing its value in helping them manage work and family life.
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