Are 81% of drivers actually happy with Uber? Or did Uber release selective data?

After releasing the results of an annual employee satisfaction survey that paint the company in a glowing light, Uber is being accused of selectively choosing which data it releases, with critics suggesting that being a driver for the company is hardly the rosy experience Uber would like you to believe it is.

According to Uber, 81% of its drivers are satisfied with their overall experience of driving for the company, and 97% of drivers are satisfied with the flexibility of their schedule. That sounds great!

But critics say Uber is asking the wrong questions of its drivers, and even if they were the right questions, the sample size is much too small to paint an accurate picture. Harry Campbell, an Uber driver and blogger who blogs about his experiences, tells the LA Times:

“I would say right off the bat that I’m not surprised Uber released a study that said their drivers are more happy or satisfied, because it wouldn’t make sense for them to release a survey that didn’t say that. In the past, they’ve released earnings for drivers that didn’t take into account drivers’ expenses, for example. They’re going to release data that’s most beneficial for them. They haven’t always been the most forthcoming.”

Just 833 drivers from 24 cities were polled in the survey, though the company employs 327,000 active drivers. Or do they? Steven Greenhouse writes for The American Prospect:

Indeed, with its clout, cachet, and big-name backers, Uber has sought to redefine what an employee is. No way, it says, should its drivers be considered employees, asserting that its relationship with them is attenuated — even though the company hires and fires the drivers, sets their fares, takes a 20% commission from fares, gives drivers weekly ratings, and orders them not to ask for tips.

So what if the company were to have asked its drivers, ALL of its drivers, whether they were satisfied with their status as independent contractors? Or if they were satisfied paying a higher tax rate on that Uber income? Or if they were satisfied not having employer-provided healthcare offered to them? Are they satisfied having to work a second job? Not qualifying for overtime pay or minimum wage?

Uber has successfully used its own app to bring users to the polls when important legislation that would impact its ability to do business arises. Even casual Uber users have likely experienced their app asking them to cast a vote to save Uber during election cycles which might threaten the company. University of California, Berkeley professor Gabriel Lenz tells GovTech.com:

“The message actually came up in the app, right when I was trying to use Uber. That’s a much better way of reaching people than anything that campaigns would ever have. If a campaign sends you a postcard telling you to turn out to vote, on average that will have a zero effect on your behavior.”

Uber can reach every single one of its drivers with the push of a button with a startling rate of efficacy that other companies can only dream of. So if they can do better, shouldn't we expect them to do better?