Flexible labor : how to make a good gig better / Brendan Maurice Dooley.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dooley, Brendan D., author.

Series:

SAGE business cases.

SAGE business cases

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Precarious employment.

Temporary employment.

Independent contractors.

Employee rights.

Unfair labor practices.

Physical Description:

1 online resource.

Place of Publication:

London : SAGE Publications: SAGE Business Cases Originals, 2023.

Summary:

As the economies of developed countries move further into a period of globalization and shift evermore away from a manufacturing base new economic tensions have emerged. One such example is that of the so-called "gig economy." As the nature of full-time employment, which traditionally involves working for a single employer, gives way to part-time, flexible work, which is based on completing specific tasks, there are questions about how to ensure adequate protections for workers. For some of these workers a critical question has emerged: are they to be considered employees of these Internet application based platforms such as Uber and TaskRabbit or should they be legally designated as contractors? The case study first accounts for the growing presence of this new employment type. The inquiry then shifts from explaining the scope of the matter to weighing the trade-offs involved with two approaches on extending traditional protections (e.g., minimum wages, unemployment benefits, health insurance) to the new class of flexible workers. The first is an attempt on the part of the state of California (United States) to impose regulations on the employer. The second is a more laissez-faire proposal that would avoid narrowly defining the workers as employees, while also embedding in the payment scheme means to offer many protections that are customary features of traditional employment. Each of these potential solutions must contend with the matter of balancing the interests of the worker and the corporate entity responsible for arranging the ad hoc trading of services for payment. Students will be asked to evaluate the available options to determine which arrangement offers an optimal balance of freedom and security, from both the employer's and laborer's interest.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

1-5296-1881-9

9781529618815

OCLC:

1362530030