Gig Workers Analysis

The Technology and the Future of Work Panel featured five talented individuals on their research and understanding of the importance of the growing technology on the new generation of workers. Many of the presenters talked about their views on how technology is expanding the definition of work and how technology can be used as a solution to many of the problems these new generation of workers face.

Maria Figueroa talked about the rise of non-standard work and the on-demand work force, or the Gig economy. As much as 40% of the US workforce is laboring under arrangements such as contingent work, contract work, call-work, or day labor. Although this is an expanding work sector, they are excluded from most work laws and are vulnerable to exploitation. One specific but sizable type of gig workers presented by Alex Rosenblat that exemplifies this problem are Uber drivers. Uber uses an algorithmic management to manage their drivers. All drivers are evaluated by a 5 star rating scale determined largely by customers. This makes it difficult for drivers to deal with daily problems such as wage theft and bad customers. Most times, drivers gets the short end of the stick when these problems come up.

Rosenblat talked about Uber workers joining together in forums and organizations to learn to negotiate with companies that do not have strict regulations. Figueroa talked about JORNALER, an app that allow gig workers to connect and share information about good (and bad) experiences with certain employers and a place for recordkeeping, alerts, and reports. Digital technology such as these help workers to advocate for the strengthening of work regulations. Nick Dyer-Witheford and Andrew Cook also talked about the importance of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter as a communication tool to mobilize the new generation of