Independent contractors control their own hours, but they lose more than they gain
By SAGE KAMOCSAY— skamocsay@ucdavis.edu
DoorDash, Uber (and UberEats), Postmates, Lyft, Grubhub: We all know these apps — some of us rely on them a little more than we would like to admit. Many of us use them on a regular basis for groceries and takeout or to get around town. Many people also work for these apps as independent contractors, either as their primary source of income or for some extra cash to make ends meet. This is the gig economy — classified by a large volume of freelance and temporary contracted work.
These independent contractors do gain a few advantages; they can work locally without having to go into an office, they get to determine their own hours and schedule and they can work more than one of these jobs at a time if they want to make more money. To many, these benefits are quite alluring. It is also incredibly easy to start working one of these jobs — it requires little more than signing up and a background check — no interviews, no applications, nothing. The corporations just want your person, and as long as you aren’t a criminal, you’re a perfect contender.
However, there are also significant drawbacks to becoming a freelancer. Because of how weak the relationship between an independent contractor and the company contracting them is, there are very few requirements for worker provisions and protections. For example, these employees have no access to benefits, they are often paid very little for long hours, and there are few worker protection laws surrounding their jobs. Oftentimes, there is no way for them to bargain for better pay or less predatory employment practices if they run into issues.
These jobs are also incredibly isolating. With no physical workplace — either in-person or online — workers have no real way of talking to others. Outside of anonymous forums on the Internet, they can’t compare experiences, ask for advice or form a sense of camaraderie with their peers. There is no way to collectivize or unionize either, as freedom of association is almost never given to independent contractors.
Unfortunately, more and more people are forced to take up contracts with these companies to pay the bills or stave off unemployment — especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. These corporations continue to siphon every last drop of labor value from their employees, as divides between high- and low-income Americans increase as employment with companies like Uber becomes more popular.
The working class, which used to encapsulate the American Dream to a tee, is now dying a slow and painful death. Blue collar workers used to be able to easily achieve these goals: a small house with a yard and fence, a spouse and children, maybe a dog or cat — all by your late 20s. These standards of living are slowly slipping through the fingers of all but the most wealthy among us. Living paycheck-to-paycheck in an apartment that costs at least twice as much in rent as it should is becoming a much more common experience; this is not working-class, this is poverty.
While the gig economy is not entirely to blame for this shift, it is the most severe manifestation of an age-old problem: the rich taking advantage of the poor and giving scraps in return. We need to reduce the influence of predatory corporations that peddle these gig jobs and force them to fully employ their workers in order to restore even marginal protections to many Americans.
Boycott Uber. Boycott DoorDash. When companies see that the consumers don’t support their actions, they will be quick to change their ways. It may be inconvenient, but it will help your fellow Americans secure more pay and provisions from their employers — which will increase the standard of living for all. As a bonus, it will even save your wallet; delivery is too expensive, anyway.
Written by: Sage Kamocsay— skamocsay@ucdavis.edu
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by The California Aggie.
