Money, specifically the lack of it is a worry most of us will have at some point. When you’ve been made redundant, it’s somehow amplified. An hour doesn’t go by without imagining the vision of your bank balance, slowly counting down, knowing that at the end of the month, the counter isn’g going to be reset.
There are, of course, many reasons to want to be employed. But at the end of the day, for most of us, getting regular income is the main reason we set the alarm and drag ourselves out of bed, on a dreary eyed quest for coffee.
Due to COVID, the lockdown, and the weird times we’re living in, it’s getting harder and harder to find full-time employment, and the likelihood is that things will stay this way for a while. So we need to look for a plan-B. We need to look at every available option so we can ride out the storm.
Being a part of the ‘Gig Economy’ is one such alternative.
Defined as ‘a job market which consists of short-term or part-time work done by people who are self-employed or on temporary contracts’, the ‘Gig Economy’ has been around for a while. You’ve more than likely used it – even if you’ve not realised it. If you’ve taken an Uber, ordered from Deliveroo, or even stayed in an Airbnb, you’ve been a Gig Economy consumer.
But there is some controversy. Some love the Gig Economy due to the flexibility it provides and argue that it increases consumer choice. Some hate it and believe it favours employers over employees and worry about the effect it has on basic workers rights.
The Gig Economy is though an option. So over the next few weeks, I’m going to join the ranks of the 7.5 million people who have worked or are currently working in the Gig Economy in the UK, starting with Shepper.
I’ll let you know how I get on. TBC
Welcome to my journey through redundancy 