It’s just a market response to a broken workplace:
- Workers like it because it affords them freedom to work on meaningful projects, travel, and be near their families. Problem 1: the workplace was denying people the things that were important to them.
- Employers like it, particularly in the US, because they can get away with less responsibility for those supposedly in their care. Problem 2: People are being treated as tools rather than valued team members.
The gig economy isn’t all bad for all people. It has its perks. But it reveals some ugly truths: what if our workplace was designed for people to contribute and thrive, rather than ship and sail?