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Articles on Gig economy

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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

TVO strike highlights the scourge of contract work in public service journalism

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)

The shift from owning to renting goods is ushering in a new era of consumerism

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?
Riders who deliver for online food platforms are self-employed, and can nominate a substitute to deliver on their behalf. John Walton/PA/Alamy

‘I’m always delivering food while hungry’: how undocumented migrants find work as substitute couriers in the UK

Our study of food delivery workers in one English city highlights the daily challenges facing undocumented migrants in this sector.
Coffee shops can be a “third space” – not home or the office – where remote or gig workers can go to feel less isolated. Granger Wootz/Tetra images via Getty Images

Working in isolation can pose mental health challenges – here’s what anyone can learn from how gig workers have adapted

Gig workers navigate the challenges of solo work by seeking out relationships and cultivating skills to cope with emotional turbulence
Workers take on side hustles not just for the money, but also to compensate for limited control in their traditional jobs. Jeff Greenberg via Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Americans are taking more control over their work lives – because they have to

‘Career portfolioing’ is a trend where people assemble different sources of income, such as side gigs, to give them a measure of independence from employers who provide little job security.
Will precarious alternative forms of work, like gig platform jobs, become the norm for immigrant care workers? (Shutterstock)

Gig platforms help immigrant care workers find jobs, but they are only a temporary solution

Alternative working arrangements like gig platforms might help immigrant workers find temporary work, but many care professionals are still unable to find permanent jobs in their industry.
Uber deliberately positioned itself as a tech company to avoid the regulations of the taxi industry. (Shutterstock)

The manipulation of Uber’s public image profoundly impacted the lives of taxi drivers

The Uber Files leak reveals that the company embarked on a deliberate public relations strategy that involved the media, public officials and academics.
Service provider apps are set up in ways that endanger gig workers. (Shutterstock)

Delay and deflect: How women gig workers respond to sexual harassment

Rating services on ride and task apps disadvantage gig workers, whose future work assignments are affected by their ratings. Women workers are made vulnerable, and have to contend with harassment.

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