NATIONAL GIG
is an open educational forum for independent workers and businesses.
Businesses/Platforms, Workers/Giggers
Why should you join us?
EDUCATIONAL FORUM
To provide a dynamic forum to facilitate the exchange of ideas, thoughts and information related to the emerging gig, on-demand, alternative and independent worker landscape (collectively, the “gig-economy”). And to educate workers and businesses on the current issues surrounding worker benefits, protection, and financial programs.
STAKEHOLDER OPPORTUNITY
RESEARCH TOOLS
JOBS & NETWORKING
To offer all stakeholders in the gig economy and alternative working arrangement space to connect concerning availability of candidates or positions.
The three biggest growth sectors for self-employed workers since 2009 have been hairdressing, cleaning and management consultancy. … The next biggest riser is “renting and operating real estate”, which could reflect people offering their homes and driveways online. On the other hand, taxi operation is the biggest faller, perhaps quelling the suggestion that Uber is taking over. FULL ARTICLE
“Many Americans are making extra money renting out a spare room, designing a website … even driving their own car. This on demand or so called ‘gig’ economy is creating exciting opportunities and unleashing innovation, but it’s also raising hard questions about workplace protections and what a good job will look like in the future,” Clinton said. FULL STORY
TIME’s poll of 3,000 people, conducted by Penn Schoen Berland in late November, found that 22% of American adults, or 45 million people, have already offered some kind of good or service in this economy. And in doing so, they’ve likely made a trade-off: … working without set hours but are not afforded the safety nets that traditional 9-to-5 employees have. In return, companies like Uber and Postmates save fortunes on employee-related expenses such as payroll taxes but must give up control over exactly how and when workers do their jobs. FULL ARTICLE
Technology and innovation frequently outpace the laborious process of modernizing outdated laws. The National Labor Relations Act was passed in 1935. Its drafters could not have contemplated the need to define the status of entrepreneurial automobile drivers who conduct transactions directly via smartphone apps with people who need local transportation. FULL STORY
National GIG BLOG
GIG Firms Increase Lobbying Expenses
Spending on federal lobbying by GIG-based firms grew in the first half of 2016, according to CQ Roll Call, a news resource that focuses on Capital issues. GIG firms are getting wise to the fact they need to sidle up to Washington, especially as new regulations...
Welcome to the GIG Economy
Joel Naroff of the Philadelpia Inquirer summarizes some key points in the GIG economy. And, most importantly, he brings up the elephant in the room - In a world of multiple and changing employers and employees, what happens to benefits, worker and employer rights, and...
Determining if You’re an Employee or Independent Contractor
According to a recent article by Sal Simao and Joanna RIch of Ford & Harrison, LLP, overlapping and sometimes conflicting federal and state laws in the United States govern the employment relationship and determination of whether a worker is an employee or an...
Three Paths to Update U.S. Labor Law for the Gig Economy
The Innovation and Information Technology Foundation recently hosted a panel discussion concerning three possible paths to handle the antiquated labor law policies concerning the GIG economy. The following is a summary of that discussion as well as link to the video...
REPRINT: Airbnb, Others Pay Out Billions Under IRS Radar, Study Finds
This GIG related story is taken from a Bloomberg News report. Posted May 23, 2016, 10:57 A.M. ET By David Kocieniewski The IRS has been so slow to adapt to the rapidly emerging peer-to-peer economy that billions of dollars in taxable income a year are probably going...
Will the ACA Enable More GIG Jobs?
According to a recent study issued by Field Nation, an online work platform for connecting businesses and workers, 68 percent of companies said that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will have a high impact on hiring more freelance workers and as a result, 74% will...
What if …?
The current state of affairs in the employment environment challenges the relationship between businesses and gig workers. Current laws and lawsuits have pushed independent, contract workers under the heading of employees. This default is most likely out of...
Getting Ahead of the Employee Curve in the GIG Economy
As more talk occurs around the distinctions between formal employees and independent worker, or giggers, it is clear that having it play out in the court system may not be provide a healthy outcome. While current laws tilt heavily towards classifying independent...
Uber May Have Settled Lawsuit, But Will the Gov’t Agree?
The $100 million question brought by the recent Uber driver lawsuit in California and Massachusetts is whether drivers using the Uber app should be classified as independent contractors or employees. According the Uber website and CEO Travis Kalanick, the two sides...
Adapting Travel Policies in a “Sharing Economy”
A recent article published by the Society for Human Resource Management provides examples of how some companies concerned about potential dangers in the "shared economy" are putting out policies on using services like Uber or Lyft for rides or even Airbnb for...