The Line Between Gig and Work Is Increasingly Blurred

Line? You mean for some people there's actually a line...? JL

Leslie Hook comments in the Financial Times:

In its earliest usage, gig work referred to jazz club musicians in the 1920s. Some features, such as the fact that workers do not get healthcare, pensions or paid holiday, have hardly changed since. But what is new in today’s gig economy is the way that technology has cast a wider net, drawing in people who would not otherwise be gigging at all.
Noun — The freelance economy, in which workers support themselves with a variety of part-time jobs that do not provide traditional benefits such as healthcare. The phrase “gig economy” was coined at the height of the financial crisis in early 2009, when the unemployed made a living by gigging, or working several part-time jobs, wherever they could. This year, though, the word has been in the news for a different reason, as the rise of so-called unicorn companies such as Uber and Airbnb has meant more and more people have started to work this way.In its earliest usage, gig work referred to jazz club musicians in the 1920s. Some features, such as the fact that workers do not get healthcare, pensions or paid holiday, have hardly changed since.
But what is new in today’s gig economy is the way that technology has cast a wider net, drawing in people who would not otherwise be gigging at all. Think of the retired person who occasionally lets out a spare room on Airbnb, or the office worker who picks up an extra passenger on the morning commute by using a ride-hailing app.
This past year has also seen a pushback against the gig economy, as Uber and another ride-hailing company, Lyft, have faced lawsuits from drivers who say they should be treated as employees instead of independent contractors.

A class-action lawsuit brought by California drivers against Uber is set to go to jury trial next year. Some tech companies are converting their work forces from contractors to full-time employees. Others are adding more perks for gig workers: Lyft offers a retirement savings programme for drivers, while Airbnb provides liability insurance for hosts. The line between gigs and work is getting increasingly blurred.