Jose Pezo Blog´s.

The Gig Economy.

Title: The Gig Economy

Author: Indeed Editorial Team

Source: What is the Gig Economy?

APA:

Indeed Career Guide. (2023, February 18). What Is the Gig Economy?. Indeed Editorial Team. Indeed.ca. https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/what-is-gig-economy

Summary:

The Gig economy is known as the work environment based on temporary activities, with specific tasks, and developed independently in the short term. Allows access to flexible conditions in payment schedules and rates. Additionally, it gives participants the opportunity to be hired quickly, increasing the possibility of expanding their portfolio of work experience.

The development of new communication platforms has given access to many workers to carry out certain tasks that were previously only the privilege of employees integrated into companies on a stable basis, that is, with a permanent contract. The diversification of industries, supported by different digital platforms, has given access to subcontracting, and outsourcing of certain services, reducing operational expenses, and expanding the opportunity to resolve services by outsourcing them. On the other side, occasional service providers have found the opportunity to develop accessible tasks, with low training, freedom of choice, and with the opportunity to find a balance between work and personal life.
The challenges of this new work format consider the independence of both parties, implying responsibilities for each participant. From the company's point of view, they must establish clear rules around their needs, and on the part of the service providers, in addition to meeting the requirements, being evaluated by the users themselves, they must comply with the legal regulations established depending on of the area or country where it is developed. For example, gig workers must declare their taxes as self-employed and ensure their social security costs, in the case of Canada. With this, responsibilities are not only distributed, but it makes independent workers aware of being part of their own work integration process.

On the part of companies, they must provide accessible and intuitive platforms, mainly through digital means, where independents can provide their services fluidly and with clear rules. Also, gig workers will have to overcome barriers, such as self-motivation, time management, gaining confidence as a provider, and establishing clear objectives regarding their medium and long-term challenges, since this work environment is recognized as a short to medium-term, in a person's working life.

Personally, I believe that this new work model works in favour of those who seek to open opportunities in their work life. In addition, it allows a real approach to the labour field that each person chooses, independently, flexibly, and in some way democratizing access to work, for those who cannot access formal or academic training. From my experience, I have had the opportunity to develop projects related to e-commerce on established online sales platforms. This experience was very rewarding, since not only was I able to develop a commercial project from scratch, but it also opened opportunities for me through each process in the logistics chain, from purchase analysis, import by sea, sale through digital platforms, distribution, and post-sales service. In conclusion, I learned that each work activity or project, regardless of the magnitude, will help me learn, along the way, to develop other opportunities, this being a characteristic very close to The Gig Economy.