Have you ever heard of the “gig” economy?
Simply put, it’s a workforce going from one job “gig” to another, getting paid above or under the table. (“freelancing” is a variation on this) Although its origins are musical, it has come to define freelancing in the workplace. In a recent article, SnapCar’s Dave Ashton argued in favor of replacing certain types of traditional employees with contractors. Make no mistake, he takes a controversial political position, perhaps more understandable when it is recognized that he is based on the French economy, not the American one.
His general point is that the market is better served by independent contractors than by employees in some positions. It’s a utopian vision of the Randian workplace: that if everyone acts in their own interest all the time, everyone is served. Workers are more efficient because they generally work harder since their earnings are directly related to their actions, AND they earn more take-home pay. Of course, it’s also better for employers because they need fewer employees for whom they pay government-mandated taxes on benefits.
I remember studying the monetary economy of Lima, Peru when I was in graduate school. It existed with the full knowledge and tacit support of the government because it provided enough income for the poor to survive, thus keeping them off public assistance and off the budget.
I then realized that I didn’t need to start a revolution to do this. It’s already underway, powered by… my children? Millennials strike again.
This article on Millennials (formerly called Gen Y) hit the mark. millennials “…they see work as something that helps them live the rest of their lives rather than work as life; in other words, they work to live rather than live to work. In general, they prefer to work at a job interesting for less money that allows them a lot of time out of the office (or working at home) instead of working 12 hour days for a six figure salary.
Yes. That’s a Millennial for you. It drives workplace managers crazy due to low retention rates and sometimes self-esteem and inflated expectations. Remember, Millennials are also known as the Trophy Generation. (Read the full article here)
Dare I suggest that it is the workplace that needs to change?
And it certainly has in many ways. After all, we have Gen X to thank for Casual Fridays. Silicon Valley is literate with modern workplaces featuring everything from required sabbaticals to free gourmet food and on-site spas in an effort to make work more balanced and less stressful. It’s progress, even if it’s mostly in California.
As for the rest of us? Well right now the option is to choose. Two – five weeks of vacation per year in exchange for income and benefits. It’s a classic trade off, freedom for security.
Or, the slightly scary Go-Your-Own-Way Gig Economy. (It helps if you picture your boss humming Fleetwood Mac.)
I would be severely forgiven if I did not give credit and recognition to my mother, who has worked as a freelance illustrator, artist, pet sitter, portraiture teacher, and walk leader for over thirty years. I don’t think she ever considered herself a cutting-edge pioneer of workplace freedom.
You’re not sure where to start? Go find a Millennial and buy him a cup of coffee. Oh wait… that’s a latte. Choose your brain over work, play, and having it all.
You might be surprised at what a Boomer can learn from the youth these days.
