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by GrumpiNerd 2822 days ago
Being part of the gig economy has brought me the best income I've ever had. And a flexible schedule so I get plenty of time with my kid. If I was still forced to look for a 9-5 based on traditional hiring practices I'd be making much less and miserable.
1 comments
jacquesm 2822 days ago
As long as it works... and then when you get ill or something else happens suddenly you find out that all that freedom translates into a complete lack of a safety net. Unless you live somewhere in Europe.

Keep in mind that 'flexible contracts' and 'zero hour contracts' already existed before the Gig economy, and that they still came with all the good stuff that comes with employment.

For the US, where a lot of people were already under the perpetual Sword of Damocles waiting to be told they are no longer required the situation is maybe not all that different. But not all of the world is like that.

The better way to run a life that is free and where you get plenty of time to arrange as you wish is to have a consultancy company where you hire yourself out at a high rate during a few months of the year to take it easy during the remainder.

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refurb 2822 days ago
a complete lack of a safety net

Nearly 2/3rd of the federal budget is for social programs. What do you mean a "complete lack of a safety net"?

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jacquesm 2822 days ago
Try applying for it when you really need it. Bankruptcy due to medical emergencies is unfortunately pretty common.

I've done my bit of social security for the United States all the way from where I'm sitting, it's that good.

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dragonwriter 2822 days ago
> Nearly 2/3rd of the federal budget is for social programs.

Not all social programs are safety net programs; notably age- and work-related public healthcare isn't, and neither is work-qualified public pension.

And also a lot of the social spending (safety net or not) is the public portion of the US’s stupendously inefficient hybrid public/private health care system, so even the safety net portions of that (mainly Medicaid) give very little safety net for the money.

By the standards of the developed West, the US has a very weak safety net, however much money it might spend on public social programs.

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refurb 2822 days ago
Not all social programs are safety net programs; notably age- and work-related public healthcare isn't, and neither is work-qualified public pension.

Care to source that definition? Social-security, Medicare and Medicaid were all developed as "safety nets".

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