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. zz 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. zz
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.
