1. Forums
  2. Mystery Shopping Discussion

Close to 25% of American Workers Are Now Gig Economy Workers

July 17, 2019 11:54PM
[www.theguardian.com]
@ wrote:

Gig work is also erasing 85 years of hard-won labor protections.

At the rate gig work is growing, future generations won’t have a minimum wage, unemployment insurance, worker’s compensation for injuries, employer-provided social security, overtime, family and medical leave, disability insurance, or the right to form unions and collectively bargain.

Why is this happening? Because it’s so profitable for corporations to use gig workers instead of full-time employees. Gig workers are about 30% cheaper because companies pay them only when they need them, and don’t have to spend on the above-mentioned labor protections.

But for many workers it amounts to wage theft. . .

If America still had a Department of Labor, it would be setting national standards to stop this.

Yet Trump’s Anti-Labor Department is heading in opposite direction. It recently proposed a rule making it easier for big corporations to outsource work to temp and staffing firms, and escape liability if those contracting firms violate the law, such as not paying workers for jobs completed.

On the other hand, California is countering Trump on this, as on other issues.

Been a lot of discussion as of late on ms wages in multiple threads.

Just wanted to post this recent article from The Guardian discussing how the gig economy (which includes ms work) now makes up close to 25% of American work. It's also the fastest growing category of work in America, according to the article. It's usually defined by a number of traits that include:

low-wage contract labor (no fixed hours/schedule)
not subject to minimum wage laws
no benefits
cannot qualify for unemployment

It'll be interesting to see if recent legal advocacy will change things. California and I think ACL (A Closer Look) have investigations regarding this.

@ wrote:

Last Wednesday, the California assembly passed legislation codifying an important California supreme court decision: in order for companies to treat workers as independent contractors, the workers must be free from company control, doing work that’s not central to the company’s business, and have an independent business in that trade.

(The bill is not yet law. It still has to pass the California Senate and be signed by the governor. And businesses are seeking a long list of exemptions – including ride-share drivers and many of high-tech’s contract workers.)


Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/2019 12:07AM by shoptastic.
Reply
Log In
x

Create an Account or Log In

Membership is free. Simply choose your username, type in your email address, and choose a password. You immediately get full access to the forum.

Already a member? Log In.

July 18, 2019 12:38AM
Thanks! This is interesting.

Pew, or one of the high caliber research groups, reported that the younger generations see life differently and have different expectations than previous generations did. There are two generations that have been raised on tech. They are mobile, and they can accomplish a great deal quickly with their devices. As a group, a significant number of them do not desire the old paradigm of the house, the kids, the job, the pets, the vacations, and the cars. Some do, of course. Others will roll in their old or new money for the rest of their lives. The actual number of young gig employees with an uncertain future is... well... maybe I can find out that number if I conduct a proper search.

I love the gig economy. It suits me in every way. I am old enough to be on the cusp of old/new, and my perspective includes old and new ideas.

My garden in England is full of eating-out places, for heat waves, warm September evenings, or lunch on a chilly Christmas morning. (Mary Quant)
Reply
July 19, 2019 03:41PM
I am happier gigging than working FT for a corporation. 9-5, 40 minute commutes, panty hose?! Ugh! Internet foraging is the way to go.
Reply
July 19, 2019 03:50PM
I commute four hours total for my normal job (60 miles each way, with our lovely traffic). The pantyhose are great when it's cold. I will even wear them under pants to stay warm.
Reply
July 19, 2019 06:20PM
I make way more money gigging than I ever did at a 9 to 5. Even after paying for my own taxes and benefits I come out far ahead. Bonus...my retirement money is MINE, and is growing through investment. Social security is shrinking, and I may never get it.

I admit gigging took awhile to get used to, but I will never go back.
Reply
July 23, 2019 03:37PM
This article makes it sound like people are being forced to work for low wages and no benefits. In reality, gig work is a choice. We choose the jobs, and we choose whether we want to do them for the pay that is offered. Often, we have the ability to counter offer until we get what we want out of it. As far as benefits, I find that flexibility in scheduling is a HUGE benefit. If it weren’t for this, I would not be able to work at all without having to put my kids in daycare. AND an hourly job for me would mean making less than $10/hr. Meanwhile, I average $11-15/hr with MS and don’t have to pay for daycare.

Gig work is a trade off, generally a negotiable one at that. Also, I dare say a large portion of people do it in addition to a regular income, whether their own or a partner’s.
Reply
July 23, 2019 05:00PM
Gigging might account for some of the many minimum wage jobs available right now. I can make more working 5 hours a day 3-4 days a week than i could standing on my feet all day being a cashier or something. But its the freedom and flexibility that i love. And lets get real. Those jobs dont have any benefits to speak of anyway. They were stripped of those long ago.
Reply
July 23, 2019 05:05PM
You're so right, Coffee! They keep each employee below about 30 hours a week just so they do not have to offer them benefits. No 40l(k), no health insurance, no paid vacation, etc.
Reply
July 24, 2019 01:35AM
@ceasesmith wrote:

You're so right, Coffee! They keep each employee below about 30 hours a week just so they do not have to offer them benefits. No 40l(k), no health insurance, no paid vacation, etc.

That depends on the number of employees. For all large companies, there are benefits for part time employees, they tend to be less comprehensive.

For anyone saying they make X amount per hour: is that based on the total hours you work? I do one or two restaurant shops a week. I am fully reimbursed and average $10 for the fee. I spend about an hour total per shop all in, the locations are local to me. Am I making $10 an hour, or $12 with the tax advantage of the reimbursement? I say no, I am not making anything hourly. I am subventing my income.

I'd love any claims of hourly earnings to disclose the average hours worked a month.

My best hourly day was $66 an hour. I put out fliers on four adjoining blocks at $25 per block. It was on my way to work, it took me an hour. It took about 30 minutes to submit all 4 reports. Those merchandising opportunities are far and few between.

My posts are solely based on my opinions and for my entertainment, contact a professional if you need real advice.

When you get in debt you become a slave. - Andrew Jackson
Reply
July 24, 2019 02:32AM
Hi Isaiah! When I calculate my pay per hour, I include all of the time from when I leave the house to when I get home, plus any extra time for inputting the results. I include drive time in the calculation because there is so much driving, especially since I live in a rural town where most shops are 30+ min away. I also estimate the actual cost of gas for the day and subtract that from my total. Reimbursements are not included as income unless it is for items I absolutely would have bought anyway, like groceries, gas, or an oil change.

As for average number of hours worked, that is extremely variable because it depends on my husband’s work schedule (who occasionally travels 1-2 weeks at a time), whether someone in our house is sick, and whether I feel like there are shops available that are worth my time. However, for the sake of this conversation, we can say that in an average week I work 2-3 days at 4hours per day and 1 Sat or Sun for 6-8 hours. So that comes to around 14-20 hours per week when my husband is not out of town and nothing else is going on.
Reply
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login