The gig economy is an economy where companies contract
employees for work and they are entirely independent of the
company or organization. An example of this would be uber
or lyft drivers being independent contractors. Technically they are
representatives of uber or lyft but not actual employees and do
not receive benefits. Another example of this could be the
travel nursing industry. Hospitals or healthcare organizations contract
nurses for a short period of time to work in their different
departments. In a gig economy, workers would be highly skilled
in whatever they're working on. They have to be able to
adapt quickly to the situations they're placed in. There is some
time spent on training but the costs and time that goes into
the hiring process is eliminated. I have experience being a
contract worker and I much prefer being an employee. When I
was a contract worker it was nice because I could make my
own schedule, but I wasn't given benefits and I also had to
pay for any problems that came up in my life from work.
The job I work now can-do pay-outs to cover costs. I've
always been an employee in a company, but I have met
others that are contract workers. It always came down to the
fact that you're able to make your own schedule when I've
talked with people I know.Gig Economy is something I haven’t
heard of as the correct word for contractors. Now that I I
have learned what it actually means I know that a gig is
often times employment on your own. These could be food
service providers or your own like cleaning crew. The only
positive I could see coming out of having a gig profession
is a lot of times you can make your own schedule and
work when you’re able to work.
I don’t think personally I would put myself in that position
to where I don’t have the stability or the certainty of my
next position. I like working for a company because I have
disability, I have the benefits that go along with being a full-
time employee. I do see why some companies contract out
certain positions for gigs because they aren’t real reliable and
they aren’t forced to pay them the same or to provide the
benefits like most companies do. I think for now I’ll just
stick with where I’m at. It seems to be a lot safer. For
me, the gig economy is working on your own, with your
own customers or contracts with firms that pay you for your
job without having to cope with labor laws.We can contribute
skills to the gig economy by remaining motivated and persistent;
there will be many people who agree with our business plans
and some who do not, which is why we must apply what
we have learned in this class, such as strategic planning, being
analytic, and reviewing the process, and if something is not
working out, update the process or make changes.I like both,
gig economy and employment; I just need to balance my
priorities. Right now, I have two teen-agers who rely on my
husband and me; they have recently begun driving, and our
expenses are considerable. Currently, employment is preferable
because we require a steady income, our work schedules are
compatible with theirs, and we require the perks that our
employment jobs provide to us: salary, health benefits, sick days,
vacation time, and retirement. However, we intend to work for
ourselves in the future when our children are grown, our
house is paid off, and we receive our retirement, even if it
is little, because we want to retire when we are not too
old.When we had a family business a few years ago, my
husband used to get some work done by contractors who had
better machines and the quality of the products were better,
and it was good for us because we had customers and we
could provide better products without having to invest a lot of
money in new machines. Many people who have come from
outside the country and do not have the necessary documents
to work have contributed to the gig economy by obtaining an
Individual Taxpayer Identification Number and working in jobs that
benefit the county. The gig economy has three components. The
first is that the independent employee is paid by the "gig"
(slang for job such as giving someone a ride, fixing a leaky
toilet, etc.). The second is a consumer who needs a service
and is motivated to use an independent contractor rather than a
traditional company (typically for increased convenience or to save
money). The third is the companies that have formed to
facilitate workers finding these gigs (Uber, Etsy, etc.). The Gig
Economy is a segment of the economy composed of Independent
Contractors, that provide temporary, show up, non-scheduled labor.
The Gig Economy is filled with jobs that require just labor,
a vehicle, or sharing a particular skill, that contractors can
enter and leave as they see fit into their schedule.When we
think of the Gig Economy, we usually think of Uber, Lyft,
or food delivery services, however, many other "gigs" exist that
require a honed skill or particular access. These jobs maybe
submissions of a website built with certain requirements, foreign
language translation, or using credentials to enter restricted areas
to assess business that the general public cannot freely access.
Many gigs I have personally participated operated on the lower
end of the spectrum, where I provided delivery of food, but
I have also used design skills and specific knowledge to assist
on other gigs as well.For myself, I much prefer to be an
employee. I enjoy the stability, and the benefits of traditional
employment, over the come and go nature of gigs. For some
people, gigs are ideal, such as those just passing through and
traveling. As for myself, I try my best to shine for my
supervisors, and manage to climb the ladder higher and higher
with in the companies I work for.I remember when I worked
for a restaurant, we would have gig workers for takeout
delivery. We used gig workers specifically due to the lack of
overhead and liability. The overhead we didn't need to pay
included health insurance and additional taxes. One of the lesser
thought of reasons for using gig workers was the liability, as
we were not held accountable if the worker was involved in
a traffic accident, and no one could associate them with our
business if they were driving too fast or recklessly. A “gig”
is sometimes called a “side hustle” and is generally a short-
term task, project or job that a person takes up to make
extra cash. But many do gig work long term or as a
main source of income. Some gig workers get paid per task
or assignment. Others earn an hourly rate.
Generating additional income and having work flexibility are the
most common motives to work for gig economy. y
Independence and flexibility are the main aspect that people
working in the gig economy were often satisfied with. I would
prefer a consistent business to work in. Gigs are enjoyable and
flexible, and I have taken part in a few. Most recent
example is starting up an Uber business in our small town
that has 2 stoplights. My plan was to do during major
holidays or activities in town. It was a huge success and
made extra cash during the two nights of driving people
during St. pats. Gigs like this are an effective way for quick
cash. Long term sustainability could vary, due to smaller
communities. More business in bigger cities. A gig economy is
an independent contractor ,temporary or short-term contracting jobs.
Where you either are bidding for services or being hired on
for a short period of time. Normally though a temp service
or a driving service job through a third party. The skills
you can bring to this job is being more flexible with your
time and promoting yourself by the work you previously did.
In the delivery service that i have previous work i got to
set my own hours. I worked for however long i would have
wanted to and did not have to check with anyone because it
was already in the app. My preference would be an
independent contractor because i like to be i control of how
I want to plan my day. What contracts I want to pick up
and i can say no and just leave within reason if i feel
like I am being treated poorly or if the customer was not
living up to what we agreed on and still get paid. Having
the ability to negotiate every wage and building the relationship
with each customer i come across. A gig economy is a
temporary or short-term job or position, which is essentially
disposable when you no longer have need of it. The skills
you can bring into a gig economy are what I call trade
skills. For example, my automotive knowledge and my ability to
adapt to any job, at any time, at any pace. I think
adaptability and flexibility are important to a gig economy. With
my small business, I am the equivalent of a contract worker
and I enjoy it a lot more than I ever enjoyed being an
employee because I am a mother before I am anything else,
and being a contractor allows me to set my hours and
workweek around the needs of my children and their
appointments. I know that when I was working as an
employee in the foodservice industry, my employers weren't very
flexible around my children and their varying schedules. Working
for myself allows that flexibility that is so important to me.
A Gig Economy is basically just a temporary position or short
term. A position you can change at any time when there is
no need. Skills you can bring with you in a gig economy
would be self-motivation because since you are temporary. You
need to show them why they should keep you. And I also
feel like since many people work in this gig economy, they
have many experiences with different jobs to bring all their
qualifications to the table. I see both sides of being a
contractor worker, or an employee. Being a contractor worker,
you are guaranteed a time working with said company, but
you are temporary. Being an employee, yeah you are in with
the company, but you could be let go at any moment for
any reason. So, they both have their pros and cons. I don't
think I would mind being a contract employee, but I don't
know how I feel about bouncing from one job to another or
having to try and find a new job. In my current role, we
do have some kinds of gig employees. I work in a school
district, and we have substitutes and long-term substitute teachers.
Being a substitute teacher, you have a temporary spot in a
class, it could be a day, it could be a week. You could
also be a long-term sub which means you are subbing for
one class for weeks if not months. In my opinion I think
Gig Economy means a side job. It's a job that isn't a
permanent job and can typically get done pretty quickly. I feel
like a lot of people have these jobs on the weekends or
something to do when they get done with their
"normal/permanent" job. I think one of the biggest skills I can
bring to the gig economy is my pipe lining and welding
skills. When I graduated college, I went through a bunch of
schooling and testing to get certified in both of those. Another
one that is big around where I live is landscaping. I believe
if you have the right clients and set up that could be a
side job or gig economy type job. I would much rather be
an employee; I like a more permanent/set job. I like to
know I have a job and I can bring money home to my
family. I know with contract work you can usually negotiate
your pay and most of the time you are your own boss. I
used to be a contract worker and I prefer a lot more
what I am doing now then back then. When you are a
contract worker, you are set to do one or two smaller jobs.
When you are an employee, you are there for a long time
and most likely have a lot more jobs to do to keep you
on your toes. I would say The Gig Economy could be
define as contractors are paid per short term job instead of
part-time and full time jobs. Another word or term that could
be used is "small gig". which is basically small, quick jobs,
to make fast money.I am a small business owner and my
prices always fluctuate its never the same amount made each
month/year. contractors get paid per small job they do. Although
i own a small business sometimes i think it would not hurt
to be an employee because my income would be easier to
calculate and more steady. Although I would not make as
much as I do now.I worked for a car wash company that
hired independence contractors to repair things in the shop. So
in that case it was needed and helpful to both parties. The
Gig Economy is not necessarily a new thing. For years people
have worked full time jobs and still worked on their side
jobs on the weekends or evenings. The gig economy is a
way to make quick extra cash. I have worked in the power
line industry since I was eighteen and because of this
experience I can personally bring a lot skills into the gig
economy. I can do electrical work and in the past have
even taken on gigs to trim or fall trees for people. Even
though there is more money to be made as a contract
worker I prefer to be an employee now that I have a
family. I still do like to be a contract worker for extra
money but the best thing about being an employee is the
steady income not to mention the benefits. I worked as a
contractor for many years and noticed that I had a much
higher income during that but I also had much higher
expenses then I do now. I have noticed a hybrid model
emerge over the past several years. Amazon is one of the
more notable companies to adopt this model. Employees are
hired by a third-party employment agency. The employees are
managed and paid by these outsource companies. After a period
of time and observation by the company, they may be offered
a traditional employment arrangement with benefits.This saves the
company the Human Relations (HR) function/costs for high-turnover
employees, although the outsource companies charge as much as
25% of the employees wages.
"The Gig Economy" is a term used to describe short-term
commitments. When I think of gig I think of an independent,
quick job or something on the side that one may do to
earn income. The kind of skills you can bring to the gig
economy would be self-motivation, self promoting, determination, and
self direction. I believe all these skills are could be brought
to the gig economy and are very helpful skills when one is
creating a gig. I wouldn't mind being both a contract worker
or an employee. Being a contractor I believe you make more
money especially being an independent contractor. As an employee
you will be able to receive better benefits than you would
as an independent contractor. Benefits such as paid time off
and health insurance comes with being an employee. Being a
contractor is more flexible in my opinion as well because
everything is pretty much your way. Where I work now and
even in my previous jobs gig employees were not prevalent. I
am sure there are many jobs where gig employees exist and
were prevalent. The "Gig Economy" seems to be a way for
some people to have access to quick assignments that may not
last for a very long time. To me, it's for short-term job
assignments which can be off and on. A task that results in
a risk-taker. Some people may look at it as a side job
and some may look at it as a way to survive.
I can think of a few gig jobs although there may be
several. Gig jobs can consist of working construction, working in
a mind, or fixing cars depending on the density and capacity.
I will rather be on a contracted job within my feel. Being
on a contract is more promising vs. just being a regular
employee. There are certain qualifications that I will have to
make sure that I am fully qualified. Upholding a contract can
consist of many things such as certain expectations and
qualifications so, that may not be best for everyone. The job
that I am trying to pursue a contract will better fit me
financially.
I can say there's more online work nowadays than I ever
seen a good percentage of them can be considered within a
gig economy based off guidelines and how they present
expectations. I've been working online for different jobs for the
past four years. There's more turnovers which could be looked
upon as a gig economy and then you have jobs that actually
tell you its temporary and some don't.
The "gig economy" is where independent contractors are paid
according to short-term work or services rather than someone
employed through a company. I have been a licensed
cosmetologist for almost 20 years. That is a skill I have that
I can bring to the gig economy. Because I am licensed, I
can provide cosmetology services to someone or a group by
being self-employed. I have not worked in a salon in years,
so every now & then to make extra money, I do provide
services on the side for various occasions.
I would prefer to be an employee instead of a contract
worker. Receiving benefits from being an employee are one of
the main reasons why I choose to be an employee at this
moment. Health insurance and sick leave are my top benefits
to have.
I consider cosmetologists as being prevalent to the gig economy.
The beauty industry is used every day and is highly popular
in many genres of work. Most companies prefer you to look
and dress professional. Many men receive weekly haircuts. Women
buy makeup frequently. In today's society, self-employed
cosmetologists would make lots of money for services (weddings,
photo shoots, etc.). In my opinion, the negative view of being
an independent cosmetologist is missing work if you are sick
or have an emergency. If you have to cancel an appointment,
you lose out on money. For example, if you get sick and
need time to heal or recover, you do not have sick days
or annual leave to cover wages for those off days.
I define the Gig Economy as kind of like working for
yourself or as a freelance worker for hire that can work on
short term contracts instead of a permanent job. In this type
of gig economy, you do not have a regular salary, instead
you get paid for the gig you work. Some of the example
of gig workers are delivery drivers, rideshare, and grocer
shoppers, just to name a few. The gig economy is a recent
trend, with a number of factors contributing to this rise and
the two most important factors are the workforce has become
more mobile and work is increasingly done remotely via digital
platform and possibly anyone can take a job or project with
an employer anywhere in the world and the . employer can
select the best person for a specific project from a larger
pool than is available in any given area.
The type or kind of skills I would bring to the gig
economy would be the type of skills I had while in the
military and transfer those skills into the gig economy with the
same motivations that are crucial in being a successful gig
worker. To be initiative-taking toward initiation, take charge,
energized by opportunities, motivated toward alternatives and flexible,
keep options open, be creative, working unsupervised, having
elevated levels of evolution and/or difference to appreciate gradual
change and enjoy an agile environment. Being focus and
motivated to work on the commercial and financial side of the
business and to make it financially viable. The bottom line is
to have a willingness to learn or have technical skills you
can sell and having the fortitude to have direct contact with
customers and cultivating your emotional intelligence, listening skills
and empathy will go a long way in being a successful
employer or employee.I would say that I would determine on
how I would prefer to be a contract worker, or an employee
would all depend on what I wanted my career path to be?
If I am trying to seek a job as an employee or become
an independent contractor is the question. I see that my skill
is valuable, and I am simply trying to determine how it
would apply to the job I am trying to seek. Do I want
to work for myself or someone else is another question and
ask myself before deciding on working for myself or someone
else and I have been both an employee and self-employed? I
have always told people that a big part of the difference
between the two is motivation. If something goes wrong for
an employee, it may not be too bad because it is often
part of a group failure; and, short of termination, the personal
financial consequences are not devastating. There is still a salary
. A self-employed person, however, can suffer on both fronts.
Often the failure is square on his or her shoulders, and the
financial consequences are immediate. So, in conclusion if you
are trying to decide on a career if you want to be a
collaborator, part of a team, and comparatively free of many
operational business decisions, you should consider seeking
employment or if you want to be an entrepreneur, your own
person, have a brand, you should consider being an independent
contractor.
I had consider where I worked now or have previously worked
and if gig employees were prevalent and do I think this was
prevalent and I do think that the gig economy is a free
market systems in which temporary positions are common and
organization hire independent workers for short term comments and
working a gig economy job can teach you useful skills for
your professional career and can improve your communication and
customer service skills. I had seen this firsthand with co-workers
having second jobs in the gig career field and had to
structure their work schedule to do their second job.So, in
retrospect, if you are having trouble finding that so-called dream
job, joining the “gig economy” could set your career on the
right path until you find or land something full time and
permanent. The gig economy is part of a shifting cultural and
business environment that also includes the sharing economy as a
peer-to-peer (P2P) based activity of acquiring, providing, or sharing
access to goods and services that is often facilitated by a
community-based online platform, A gift economy is one in
which services or goods are given without an agreement as to
a suitable payment or trade to be made in return, and or
a barter economy that is a cashless economic system in which
services and goods are traded at negotiated rates and more
flexible jobs. The cultural impact of the gig economy continues
to change; for example, the COVID 19 pandemic has had a
significant effect on hiring trends.
I would define the gig economy as people that are not
regular employees of a business or corporation but rather a
person that contracts to do work. They are more or less self-
employed and sell their skills and expertise to companies and
not an employee that dedicates 40+ hours a week to one
company to earn an hourly or salary wage. I have many
soft skills that I could bring to the gig economy but in
terms of hard skills, I do not have any specialized skills
like an electrician or graphic designer. I guess I could be an
insurance consultant but that does not sound appealing. Although,
I do occasionally drive for DoorDash to help pay for school.
I would not like to be a contract worker and I prefer to
be an employee because I like to have a steady income,
company provided benefits like health insurance and paid leave,
and promotion opportunities. I work in government so there are
many vendors that we use to conduct business that offer
specialized services on contract. Even though I am considered a
millennial, I definitely do not prefer this type of working
situation. The gig economy describes a labor market where
contractors and freelancers are compensated for short-term activities
and assignments rather than full- or part-time employment.
Communication, empathy, and intelligence are necessary for any
trade, but the skills you can bring to the gig economy are
Self-direction! I have had years and years of experience as an
employee, but never as a contractor. I find a guaranteed
income is better than being paid per project where work might
not come in. However, I would love to hear about those
who have had gig experiences. y daughter did lots of temp
work back in the day and she enjoyed it a lot. I view
the Gig Economy as opportunity for all eager to eventually
become their own boss. People are starting to realize that you
must get up and work a nine to five, 40-50 hours a week
to become successful. Education, while still valuable for developing
the future, it takes patience and time. Whereas someone with
an idea and creativity can come in and disrupt an entire
market over time. I am a jack of all trades as they say.
I used to work for Home Depot and Sears while living in
Toronto. If it was one thing I learned from that job, it’s
that the individuals who are willing to put in the work and
sometimes even have a little luck can go quite far as a
contractor. Contractors are more flexible and tend to have more
time on their hands. Employees on the other hand tend to
be set n their ways and somewhat program to a routine.
Gig Economy is an opportunity for all eager people to
eventually become their own boss and that people are truly
starting to realize that you must get up and work a nine
to five, 40-50 hours a week to become successful. I also
agree with that education is a valuable commodity for developing
the future, but it does takes patience and time. This is also
an excellent way of looking at it in that you stated that
someone with an idea and creativity can come in and disrupt
an entire market over time. I am a jack of all trades as
they say is a good way of listing of your skills in the
gig economy and being able to list your skills .I had also
worked at Home Depot for a couple of years in Oklahoma
and can attest too you are pointing out that it is true that
if you are willing to put in the work and sometimes even
have a little luck can go quite far as a contractor or as
in any job that you put forth the effort. Contractors are
more flexible and tend to have more time on their hands, if
they are their own boss and the Employees on the other
hand tend to be set on their ways and somewhat program to
a routine can of, if you look at the big picture of things
in working on your career or job path. Being a gig
employee means more flexibility for you and your family. You
are able to set your own schedules and still be a parent.
When you are working as an employee, most of the time
you have a set limit on sick and vacation leave (if you
are even given any) and many companies make you use that
leave to do appointments or if your child is sick. I know
from experiences, 3 out of 4 of my kids had Influenza A,
and it took a little over 2 weeks for it to run through
my house. I used all of my sick time on my kids being
sick. Now I have to choose go to work sick, or not get
paid because I no longer have any leave left to use.
