| You can replace 'gig economy' with 'contractor'. The idea of contracting has been around for many years before Uber and Lyft and is different than the worker rights you get when you are a full-time employee. I also don't see it replacing anything. Every company isn't going the gig route. It's just not practical. "They were not employees and so had no health insurance, workers’ compensation protections, employer contributions to Social Security and payroll taxes, paid time off, family leave protections, discrimination protections, or unemployment insurance benefits" This was never part of the deal. I don't get any of this selling my items on Ebay either. "Sometimes, this gig work also requires an initial outlay of capital. (My own neighbor just traded in her old vehicle for a new car, taking on thousands of dollars in debt so that she can make extra money driving for Lyft." So no actual research before diving in and buying a new car? Not a smart move and not Lyft's problem. "Platform algorithms are designed to downgrade those who aren’t always available, making it ever-harder to pick up gigs" As a Lyft customer, would it make sense to have someone pick me up that may not even be there? That would be a horrible customer experience. "Uber, for example, offers email communications to drivers, a service that is not nearly as responsive as the taxi cab dispatcher, say" Was this article written by the Taxicab unions? You can regulate and force companies like Lyft to make all of the drivers employees, pay them a good wage, and give them benefits. But, this will cut the workforce significantly because the bar will be much higher to become a driver. Many of the people driving now will be out of work. “The disruption offered by the sharing economy is simply a hustle.” It really depends on your goals. The gig economy allows more people to make less money. Just like any market, there will be a small percentage making the most money, some in the middle, and some making a small amount. Do you think the workers now would rather make a little bit of money or none? Assuming every current worker will just be converted to a full time employee with benefits is not realistic. |