Drivers, delivery workers, and other independent contractors make up part of the workforce of such companies as Uber, Lyft, Grubhub Doordash, and Postmates in the U.S. There were as many as 55 million gig workers in the U.S. in 2017, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, or about 34 percent of all workers.
In his first public statement on the subject, U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh recently told Reuters that he believes the success enjoyed by companies that use gig workers needs to “trickle down to the worker.” This could signal the enforcement of overtime pay and other benefits for independent contractors.
This reminds us of an ongoing conversation in our industry. Which arrangement works better for companies that want to scale: Working with freelancers or working with full-time virtual assistants or global teams?
Which arrangement works best for the workers involved?
We’d love to find out what you think in the comments below.