Gig Workers

Abstract

Occupational health nurses can ensure that gig workers are aware of health and safety requirements, receive appropriate training for the job, and use appropriate personal protective equipment.

Gig workers are increasing in today’s workforce. Gig workers may be referred to as independent contractors, agency workers, on-demand workers, project-based workers, freelancers, and temporary or part-time workers (Howard, 2017a; Rouse, 2019). The term “gig” can be a job for a specified period of time, a single project or task, or some other nonstandard work arrangement. Although typically a gig is a short-term job, workers may juggle multiple jobs at the same time as one gig ends and another one begins. Workers may learn about these gig jobs through websites or mobile applications such as apps.

“Estimates of the non-standard (or gig) workforce range from around 8% to 18% of the total workforce” (Howard, 2017b, p. 3). A study by Intuit predicted that by 2020, “40 percent of American workers would be independent contractors” (Rouse, 2019, p. 2). “Rapid advances in digital technology gave rise to work intermediated by a digital online platform” (Howard, 2017b, p. 3),” fostering the gig working structure. Factors influencing the rise in short-term jobs include an increasing mobile workforce who can work almost anywhere in the world, digitalization which contributed to a decrease in jobs because software replaced some types of work to maximize time efficiency, financial pressures on businesses leading to a flexible workforce, and the millennial generation entering the workforce (Rouse, 2019). No longer are workers staying with one employer throughout their careers; rather, workers tend to change jobs, even careers, several times their working lives.

There are pros and cons of gig work. The main pros are flexibility and variety. Gig workers can choose what projects they want and when they want to work. Gigs can provide workers an opportunity to try several types of jobs and explore career options. However, there is uncertainty associated with gig work including inconsistency of work, scheduling challenges, and lack of benefits. Workers need to be self-motivated to complete the work required, which may require nonstandard days or times to finish the job. Gig workers usually don’t receive employer-paid benefits such as health insurance and contributions to retirement plans.

Employers can benefit from the gig economy as they save resources such as benefits, office space, and training. They also can contract with experts for specific projects who may be too expensive to keep as permanent workers. Unfortunately, gig workers “do not have a legal right to a safe workplace and are not legally eligible for workers’ compensation benefits if they are injured on the job” (Howard, 2017a, p. 3).

It can be difficult to determine who is responsible for providing job protections to gig workers. Is the gig worker considered an employee or an independent contractor? Often employers will label the workers as independent but this label is being challenged. If gig workers are hired by a staffing agency, when is the host employer jointly responsible with the staffing agency for ensuring compliance with labor and employment laws? Gig workers may not receive sufficient or site-specific safety training or lack access to appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for the job (Howard, 2017a).

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and NIOSH (2014) jointly developed recommendations for agency and host employers to safeguard temporary agency workers at hazardous workplaces. Some key recommendations include conducting an on-site risk assessment of the work, training agency staff to recognize safety and health hazards, and providing agency employees with safety training. Occupational safety and health professionals should review these recommendations/best practices for their workplaces.

All workers, whether permanent or temporary, such as gig workers, have a right to a safe and healthy workplace. Occupational health nurses (OHNs) are instrumental in promoting the health and safety of workers in the workplace. They can ensure that all workers, including gig workers, are aware of health and safety requirements, receive appropriate training for the job, and use appropriate PPE.