INTHEBLACK August 2022 - Magazine - Page 30
F E AT U R E
// G I G E C O N O M Y
CLICK HERE
TO BORROW
The Realities and
Futures of Work
from the
CPA Library
“After several months of dialogue, DoorDash
agreed on an industry-leading joint set of
principles with the TWU. We are pleased to
see that since then, other industry participants
have made similar commitments, which shows
that consensus is building,” says Burrows. In fact,
the DoorDash deal was reached just weeks before
rideshare and food delivery competitor Uber
agreed to a similar arrangement with the TWU.
Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber global CEO,
told the media at the time, “This deal is about
raising up the voice of independent workers and
focusing on what they say is most important to
them – flexibility and control over when and
where they work, earning a fair wage and access
to benefits and protections.”
ECONOMIC IMPACT
Gig work has given many people a vital source
of income through the economic hardship caused
by the closure of businesses due to continued
lockdowns, and it contributes A$6.3 billion to
the Australian economy. However, it’s not just
ride share and food delivery platforms that make
up the gig economy.
The gig economy started growing in popularity
in 2008-2009 when the global financial crisis
forced many individuals to resort to task-based
labour. Many people assume that gig jobs are for
lower-income or lower-skilled workers; however,
gig work covers a huge range of activities. This
includes anyone looking to supplement their
household income or shift entirely away from
the day-to-day grind of office work.
30 ITB August 2022
Above: Andy Fang, co-founder
of DoorDash, announces the
company’s plans to further drive
the convenience economy, at the
Collision Conference in Toronto,
Canada, in June 2022.
Right: Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO
of Uber, speaks at the Innovation
conference Digital-Life-Design in
Munich, Germany, in 2018.
“THIS DEAL IS ABOUT
RAISING UP THE VOICE
OF INDEPENDENT
WORKERS AND
FOCUSING ON WHAT
THEY SAY IS MOST
IMPORTANT TO THEM
– FLEXIBILITY AND
CONTROL OVER WHEN
AND WHERE THEY
WORK, EARNING A
FAIR WAGE AND
ACCESS TO BENEFITS
AND PROTECTIONS.”
DARA KHOSROWSHAHI, UBER
For all its negative effects, COVID-19 gave
many people an opportunity to shake things
up and change the way they live and work.
Now, as offices invite people back in again, the
temptation to be their own boss and determine
how much and what kind of work they want to
do is driving many people’s new career path. In
addition to DoorDash drivers and Airtaskers,
people are turning to short-term gigs, done
from their own home, on their own terms.
Gartner reports that 32 per cent of
organisations have been replacing full-time
employees with contingent workers for
increased flexibility and as a cost-saving
measure since the onset of COVID-19. It has
also raised the question for HR managers to
consider how performance management systems
apply to contingent workers, as well as whether
they are eligible for the same benefits as fulltime workers.