CHALLENGES FOR GIG WORKERS
Viability Challenge
Gig workers usually don't enjoy a regular and predictable basic income. Their work usually consists of short-term contracts which leads to a lack for financial predictability over the course of the year. This highly variable income can threaten individuals’ viability and make it difficult to sustain a desired lifestyle at some points of their career.
Organizational Challenge
Gig workers have a lot on their plates. Not only do they have to complete the core tasks involved in their work, but there are also a variety of peripheral tasks involved in their deliverables. For example, they have to learn new platforms, secure work, bill clients, market themselves, etc. The logistics of conducting gig work requires that they learn to attend to "backroom" tasks whenever necessary while also carving out time for and space for their core work.
Identity Challenge
How do you know you who are as a professional when you do so many different things over the course of a year? Are you even an author if you have not written a book or even an article in close to a year? As they move between clients and work tasks over time, gig workers are constantly in the process of reclaiming and revising their work identities. The constant shapeshifting of their work roles can also make it difficult for them to clearly communicate who they are and what they can do. As a result, developing and maintaining a coherent sense of work identity is hard for some gig workers because of these day-to-day and client-to-client variations.
Emotional Challenge
Gig work can be highly emotional. It is unpredictable and highly personalized, which is a perfect recipe for heightened emotions. As a result, gig workers may experience more extreme emotions with a wide oscillation between positive and negative poles.
Relational Challenge
Gig workers often work remotely and rarely have the same “coworkers” for longer than a few months. Physical separation and relational instability can lead gig workers to feel alone without access to career mentors or role models. Disconnected from organizational networks, they also often lack skill development opportunities. Yet, at the same time, gig workers are required to conduct more "front stage work" to build their own brand and develop a demand for it. Taken together, these characteristics of the gig economy create relational challenges for gig workers.
Career-Path Challenge
Developing a long-term career in the gig economy requires individuals to forge their own career paths. The lack of clear and well-worn paths and career role-models can make doing so a challenge. In other words, there is no real map or even a GPS to help them to navigate the long-game!