Survival in the Gig Economy
Freedom from the nine-to-five or another form of exploitation? The gig economy is both!
Book gives you the truth about about what to expect and helps you make a plan when nothing is predictable.
Freedom from the nine-to-five or another form of exploitation? The gig economy is both!
Book gives you the truth about about what to expect and helps you make a plan when nothing is predictable.
With traditional jobs disappearing and job quality degrading, gig jobs may be how most of us earn our living in the future.
The promise of gig jobs is “flexibility.” Gig workers are hypothetically able to pursue further education, a hobby, or even have the ability to work from home, where they can care for children, elderly, or disabled family members.
The down side is that work (and pay) is unpredictable and precarious. Gig workers spend a lot of unpaid time looking for work, bidding for work, or submitting to a plethora of tests and other exercises to demonstrate that one has “earned” the right to work. As freelancers, or contract workers, gig workers are not covered by the protections of unemployment insurance, workers compensation, minimum wage and overtime rules.
Yet, there are some folks who can make a reasonably decent living with gig work. The difference depends on the amount of choice and control a worker has as much as the pay. Herein, we provide summaries (with links) of over 25 platforms offering gig jobs, as well as suggestions on how to keep records for tax purposes and other practical advice.
Gig work can work for you–either as a supplement to a low-paying job, a path to building your own freelance business, or as a workable lifestyle in itself. But you need to know about the dark side of gig work as well.
