Janani, a 35-year-old domestic worker with a popular online platform, said she avoids drinking water while on duty to sidestep the need for a washroom.

"I usually walk from one booking to another, and in this heat, I get very thirsty. But I refrain from drinking water, because I am not always sure if there will be a washroom available for me to use. Often, the people who book my services do not allow me to use the washrooms and public toilets, too, are not available everywhere," she said.

She added that the company offered no help when she raised the matter with the management.

Workers also pointed to the lack of resting spaces, forcing many to rest on footpaths and at bus stands.

"I suffered from dehydration last week. I was in no condition to work and had to cancel bookings for the rest of the day, but I was charged a fine for the cancellations. I am currently looking for other jobs, as I am not able to keep up with back-to-back bookings in the heat," said Lakshmi (name changed), a 39-year-old beautician.

Beyond cancellation charges, workers also face fines for delays. A five-minute delay can attract a fine of Rs 10.

"Even though I make Rs 30,000 in a month, I end up getting less than Rs 25,000 after all the deductions. If we cancel bookings, even due to an emergency, our ratings will fall, and we end up losing money," Lakshmi added.

Selvi, a 38-year-old beautician, was terminated from Urban Company in December 2025 for demanding "basic human rights", she said.

"I worked with the company for five years. When you are new, they offer many incentives, but later on, they start stripping everything away. In the last year, they brought in several rules that control gig workers, while offering no job security. We were stuck working for 13 hours, unable to decline or cancel any bookings. When I spoke up against the injustice and encouraged more women to do the same, they fired me," she told DH.

Urban Company did not respond to DH's queries.