The Increasingly Blurred Lines of Being Employed

There’s no argument that the current on-demand economy is highly challenging. Whereas a decade ago, workers in the U.S. and Europe worried about jobs being outsourced overseas, today’s companies, such as Upwork and Bench.co, can assemble teams “in the cloud” to provide sales and customer support, help with editorial work, conduct research and perform many other tasks. New digital platforms are beginning to act as real-time global online staffing agencies, but staffing agencies that bridge borders and integrate the global workforce at levels never seen before. Meanwhile, coordination platforms like Uber and Shyp are multiplying almost daily, powered by smart synchronization algorithms that can route tasks to those who are best qualified and available to perform them.

 

On Demand is In Demand

The danger is that we will use old classifications, like W-2 (wage -based employment) and 1099 (non-wage based employment), to solve problems that are unique to this new work landscape, laying groundwork for polarization and years-long legal battles.

More on the issue by Marina Gorbis & Devin Fidler.