While the gig economy offers flexibility and opportunities, it also presents significant challenges that need to be addressed to ensure the well-being of platform workers.
Respondents to a survey confirmed they would hesitate to encourage anyone to become a freelancer given the limited prospects currently offered in the profession.
Two travel nurses talk on FaceTime with their 4-year-old son while working far from home at a field hospital set up to handle a surge of COVID-19 patients in 2021.
AP Photo/David Goldman
A new study found that temporary assignments in new places reignited nurses’ passion to help others and helped them rediscover the meaningfulness of their work.
Prof Eddie Webster.
University of the Witwatersrand
Experts say gig economy workers are less protected as more companies create benefits packages for self-employed workers.
Drivers that juggle driving with another job were more likely to run red lights and carry weapons, such as knives, for safety reasons. These behaviours pose risks not only to drivers, but also to the public.
(Paul Hanaoka/Unsplash)
A suite of protections for gig workers will be contained in legislation to be introduced into parliament next week, and will also include measures on rights for casual workers and stopping wage theft
TVO employees and supporters are seen on the picket line outside of TVO offices in Toronto on Aug. 21, 2023. Dozens of workers at TVO have walked off the job.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby
Although work in journalism has never been a safe bet, it’s now rife with deepening uncertainty. The TVO strike aimed at job security is a matter of public interest.
Instead of owning physical copies of DVDs or CDs, for example, people subscribe to streaming services, allowing them to access a wide range of products without the burden of traditional ownership.
(Shutterstock)
These days people prefer to simply have access to goods and services, rather than outright owning them. But what does this mean for the future of consumerism?
Since 2011, I’ve worked in more than 20 precarious workplaces in hospitality, manufacturing and logistics – and I have only seen a union once.
Striking workers picket outside of Warner Bros. Studios on the second day of the Hollywood writers strike on May 3, 2023, in Burbank, Calif.
David McNew/Getty Images
Gig companies like Uber often promote the freedom that comes with independent contractor arrangements. They talk less about the impact that pay volatility can have on workers’ health.
A rally for Uber and Lyft drivers in 2019 reflects desire for workers to have same benefits as employees.
AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli
What a ‘gig worker’ is remains ill-defined, which can suit employers. But the spread of the gig economy means more workers don’t have the same rights and protections as employees.