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. a 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. a
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.
