Whizz, billed as the largest e-bike rental and subscription platform in the U.S., recently announced it will expand into Chicago with a partnership with DoorDash.

Uber Eats delivery via bike. Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty ImagesIn 1994 Pizza Hut launched the first online ordering service. Thirty years later, more than 112 million Americans have used a food delivery service, with 60 percent ordering takeout or delivery at least once a week. Millennials are more likely to order food delivery than dine in-person at the restaurant.Food delivery is just one segment of the burgeoning gig economy which is forecast to exceed $500 billion and has attracted over 5 million people.While self-employment and the gig economy promise freedom and flexibility, they come with significant costs. Given that a majority of Americans cannot answer basic financial literacy questions, that leaves these 5 million Americans left to navigate the landscape of self-employment in the dark.The Rise & Challenges of the Gig EconomyIn the most basic terms, gig work is defined as work done by individuals classified as self-employed, freelancers, or independent contractors and in recent years has become synonymous with driving for ride-share apps, making restaurant deliveries, delivering groceries, and performing errands. But in a recent survey of delivery drivers, 84 percent said they are underpaid, three-quarters are planning to get a second job and 15 percent already have one.Because these workers are “independent contractors,” they are not covered by the basic worker protection laws nor do they receive employment-based health insurance, unemployment insurance, retirement benefits, paid sick leave, or workers’ compensation when injured on the job.Workplace legal protections