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According to Statista, 58% of gig economy workers work 30 hours or less a week in the US, and 56% have two or more jobs.
CNBC reported that 51% of freelancers would not go back to traditional work.
As opposed to traditional work, gig workers usually will have more independence. They won’t have someone looking over their shoulder or pushing them to make deadlines.
Gig workers, in theory, have control over their schedules. They can choose when they want to work and for how long.
This is true, but as with all changes, especially in employment, it comes with challenges. For example, some employees work better and are more motivated to work when they are physically in an office and surrounded by others doing the same as them.
This is where co-working spaces have come in recently, at least for certain kinds of work.
Gig workers in some fields (marketing, coding, writing, etc.) can find all different kinds of projects to work on online, so work can be exciting for them.
While 57% of full-time freelancers say they do interesting work, only 37% of traditional job holders say they do interesting work.
However true this may appear to be, the hours consumers are looking to order a pizza haven’t changed. The times that people want to be driven haven't changed. So in some gig-working areas, the workers must still work specific hours if they’re going to earn.
Pay is one of the most disputed and controversial issues surrounding the gig economy. It is, by nature, unstable. In most cases, if you are sick, have had an accident, or have suffered a loss, you can kiss your wages goodbye.
Of a workforce of over 160 million in the United States, over 60 million are estimated to be engaging in gig work.
For example, Martec Group conducted a study which found that the smallest group (17%) of employees working from home were those who were “thriving.”
Companies don’t have to pay wages to employees when they don’t need them. What’s more, they don’t have to manage any of the other traditional benefits for employees either, like health insurance. Most often, workers have to handle their taxes too as if they are self-employed.
Since most gig workers are not surrounded by employees doing the same work, they may lack engagement, commitment, and a sense of belonging.
McKinsey found that 72% of independent workers are such by choice. They split this into four categories: "Casual earners" (working part-time to supplement income), "reluctants" (those who prefer traditional work but need to work this way), "financially strapped" (those who have to do side jobs to supplement their income), and "free agents" (those who are full-time independent workers by choice).
As you can’t stand over these employees, there is no guarantee that the work will be done on time and to the quality that is expected. Most websites that provide platforms to employers and gig workers have taken this into account, offering significant insight into the workers through information on their past work, experience, and with rating systems.
As usual in the private sector, the broader issues are that companies driven by profit will take what they can get until there is pushback.
In 2018, Statista found that flexible working hours were very important (59%) or important (34%) for gig workers.
In one sense, flexibility and work-life balance have been at the tip of everyone's tongue for quite some time, and gig working offers that. But is it being achieved at the expense of more important factors?
As companies generally can pay people on a one-off basis, they can scale faster. Small start-ups don’t even have to invest in office equipment or overhead.
End-of-life care plans that have been fought for in the past can be easily overlooked in this new economy.
This is, in part, why it is so attractive for companies. They can have the workforce they need when they need it, and they don’t have to pay them to “stand around.”
Finding your next job as a gig worker is another concern. Drivers will usually accept a job that comes up on their app, but for people working in marketing or web design, for example, they will have to keep an eye out for their next job. This might include writing emails or cover letters on their own time.
As with most changes in society, there will be problems with gig work that will need to be ironed out. The gig economy has been on the radar of the independent workforce, policymakers, academics, and companies for quite some time. The solution to ensuring workers’ rights relies on all parties, but particularly governments, policymakers, and on companies “playing ball.”
Sources: (Upwork) (Statista) (Forbes)(CNBC) (MBO Partners) (McKinsey & Company)
See also: Essential tips to becoming an effective remote worker
For example, equity and accountability aren’t principles at action considering the delivery driver whose tire bursts late on a Saturday night and has to take the financial hit to fix their bike and for being out of work until it's fixed.
The gig economy is growing all over the world, and is expected to grow for some time. Indeed, it’s a relatively new form of employment: gig workers work as short-term, temporary, or independent contractors for one or a variety of employers.
You will already know several of the companies in this industry, like Uber, Fiverr, and Talkspace. But however incredible it seems for businesses, the economy, and employees at face value, in reality, the gig economy comes with significant challenges and concerning issues as well as opportunities. To explore them, click through this gallery.
What’s more, it’s great for businesses because there is such a wide variety of skilled professionals that they can choose from. If you need someone to make an '80s-style avant-garde poster for a new biscuit brand, you can find the right person to do it on Fiverr or Upwork.
The global outsourcing market amounted to US$92.5 billion in 2019.
In recent years, it seems like workers in the modern economy have lost sight of the value of unionizing. In the US, the percentage of unionized workers dipped from about 20% in 1983 to 6.2% in 2019.
Making your way through any city, you will also see groups of food delivery workers gathering and socializing.
The ins and outs of gig work
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LIFESTYLE Employment
The gig economy is growing all over the world, and is expected to grow for some time. Indeed, it’s a relatively new form of employment: gig workers work as short-term, temporary, or independent contractors for one or a variety of employers.
You will already know several of the companies in this industry, like Uber, Fiverr, and Talkspace. But however incredible it seems for businesses, the economy, and employees at face value, in reality, the gig economy comes with significant challenges and concerning issues as well as opportunities. To explore them, click through this gallery.