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In recent years, millions of people around the world have begun to earn their living not through a single permanent job, but through a series of short tasks found on mobile apps. They deliver food, drive passengers, design logos or translate documents, and are paid for each piece of work. This way of working is often called the gig economy, after the word musicians use for a single performance.
For many workers, the attraction is freedom. A student can deliver meals in the evenings and study during the day. A parent can choose hours that fit around school pick-ups. Some people use gig work to earn extra money on top of a regular job, while others, especially in areas with few employers, rely on it as their main source of income.
Companies, too, benefit. Instead of employing permanent staff, they can call on workers only when there is demand, which reduces their costs. Customers, meanwhile, enjoy fast and cheap services at the touch of a button.
However, the gig economy has a less attractive side. Because most gig workers are treated as independent contractors rather than employees, they usually do not receive sick pay, holiday pay or health insurance. If a delivery rider is injured in an accident, he may lose his income completely while he recovers. Earnings can also be unpredictable: on a quiet day, a driver may spend hours waiting for a request that never comes.
There is also the question of control. Although gig workers are described as their own bosses, the apps decide how much each task pays and which workers receive the best jobs, often according to rules that are not made public. Workers who refuse too many tasks or receive a few poor ratings from customers may find that they are offered less work, without ever being told why.
In response, governments in several countries have begun to review the law. Some courts have ruled that drivers working for certain apps should be treated as workers with basic rights, such as a minimum wage. Gig workers themselves have started to organise, forming online groups to share information and, occasionally, refusing to work for a day to draw attention to their conditions.
The gig economy is unlikely to disappear. The challenge is to keep the flexibility that many workers value while making sure that flexibility does not become just another word for insecurity.