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Key takeaways... - A study led by the University of Bristol reveals that 52% of gig workers in the UK earn below the minimum wage. - The average hourly earnin

Key takeaways... - A study led by the University of Bristol reveals that 52% of gig workers in the UK earn below the minimum wage. - The average hourly earnings of gig workers were £8.97, approximately 15% lower than the current UK minimum wage. - Work-related insecurity and anxiety were experienced by 76% of gig workers surveyed. - Many gig workers (28%) felt their health and safety were at risk, and 25% experienced pain on the job. - Gig workers expressed the need for basic rights such as minimum wage rates, holiday and sick pay, and protection against unfair dismissal, as well as the formation of unions and platform councils to represent their interests and influence working conditions.

remote_phone 3y ago
The study was an internet survey with no verification and they mixed the data between a wide variety of types of remote gigs, including upwork and fiverr and the further mixed the idea of “waiting for work” which falsely decreased the average wage.
- kranke155 3y ago
  Falsely how?
  - AnthonyMouse 3y ago
    If you're reading your personal email or watching Netflix until your phone dings, you're not getting paid for it, but why would you expect to be?
    - kranke155 3y ago
      Because someone who’s under a contract at Apple will get paid during those times? Even a freelancer like me on a higher demand profession, I get paid by day and sometimes there’s only 4 hours of work. The lack of empathy of some commenters here is truly shocking.
      - AnthonyMouse 3y ago
        If you're on a contract that pays for your time, you can't leave and go hang out in the park or get a workout at the gym or go shopping at the mall. If you're on a contract that pays by the job, you're back on your own time as soon as the work is done. You got paid to give someone a ride, they get out of your car and the contract is over. You can go do whatever you want. But you don't get paid any more until you do more work. That's the nature of it. There are people who voluntarily choose this when alternatives are available, because they value the flexibility etc.
        kranke155 3y ago
        Vast majority of people I've met in Europe working under these conditions do it only out of necessity.
        AnthonyMouse 3y ago
        Out of necessity to do gig work, or out of necessity to do some work? I have to imagine Europe has food service workers and cashiers and cleaning staff and other jobs that nobody really likes to do and that don't pay particularly well, but that aren't hard jobs to get. So if the gig work is actually worse instead of better, why are they choosing it over any of those other things which are still available?
        kranke155 3y ago
        They’re not available, not in all countries
    - imtringued 3y ago
      Because liquidity services demand to be compensated or otherwise liquidity won't be provided (= the ability to receive service without an appointment) If you don't compensate them, then you as a customer will have to get an appointment ahead of time so that the worker can plan whether he has work today or not.
      - AnthonyMouse 3y ago
        That gets solved through pricing.
Aerroon 3y ago
>- The average hourly earnings of gig workers were £8.97, approximately 15% lower than the current UK minimum wage. UK "real" minimum wage at the time was £9.5, so it's 5.6% lower, but this only applies to people aged 23+! You could also say that they earned 31.3% more than the minimum wage of £6.83 that applied to 18 to 20 year olds at the time. Or 2.3% less than the minimumn wage of £9.18 that applied to 21 to 22 year olds at the time. I'm very surprised that a study done in the UK didn't go deeper on age, especially when they're going to write such lines compared to minimum wage.
- blablabla123 3y ago
  True, they should have included that. I have the impression though that e.g. delivery jobs used to be considered student jobs instead of a full-time job to make a living from. While most gig workers seem rather young I'd think the age range has shifted upwards.
  - pempem 3y ago
    I don't agree. A job is a job. It shouldn't be "for students". We would all balk about providing the same service and being paid less because we were "too young" despite providing the same skill and ability.
    - AnthonyMouse 3y ago
      It's not a matter of getting paid less for the same job, it's a matter of not having the same skills or experience. Employers need some incentive to take a chance on someone with no employment history.
      - mrguyorama 3y ago
        The incentive for taking a chance on an employee should be "I need to hire someone to grow my business so I can make more money". We should stop worshiping at the alter of "small businesses". We've done it for decades and I'm not convinced it has helped in the slightest. Small business owners have the worst victim complex I have ever seen.

remote_phone 3y ago

The study was an internet survey with no verification and they mixed the data between a wide variety of types of remote gigs, including upwork and fiverr and the further mixed the idea of “waiting for work” which falsely decreased the average wage.

kranke155 3y ago
Falsely how?
- AnthonyMouse 3y ago
  If you're reading your personal email or watching Netflix until your phone dings, you're not getting paid for it, but why would you expect to be?
  - kranke155 3y ago
    Because someone who’s under a contract at Apple will get paid during those times? Even a freelancer like me on a higher demand profession, I get paid by day and sometimes there’s only 4 hours of work. The lack of empathy of some commenters here is truly shocking.
    - AnthonyMouse 3y ago
      If you're on a contract that pays for your time, you can't leave and go hang out in the park or get a workout at the gym or go shopping at the mall. If you're on a contract that pays by the job, you're back on your own time as soon as the work is done. You got paid to give someone a ride, they get out of your car and the contract is over. You can go do whatever you want. But you don't get paid any more until you do more work. That's the nature of it. There are people who voluntarily choose this when alternatives are available, because they value the flexibility etc.
      - kranke155 3y ago
        Vast majority of people I've met in Europe working under these conditions do it only out of necessity.
        AnthonyMouse 3y ago
        Out of necessity to do gig work, or out of necessity to do some work? I have to imagine Europe has food service workers and cashiers and cleaning staff and other jobs that nobody really likes to do and that don't pay particularly well, but that aren't hard jobs to get. So if the gig work is actually worse instead of better, why are they choosing it over any of those other things which are still available?
        kranke155 3y ago
        They’re not available, not in all countries
  - imtringued 3y ago
    Because liquidity services demand to be compensated or otherwise liquidity won't be provided (= the ability to receive service without an appointment) If you don't compensate them, then you as a customer will have to get an appointment ahead of time so that the worker can plan whether he has work today or not.
    - AnthonyMouse 3y ago
      That gets solved through pricing.

Aerroon 3y ago

>- The average hourly earnings of gig workers were £8.97, approximately 15% lower than the current UK minimum wage. UK "real" minimum wage at the time was £9.5, so it's 5.6% lower, but this only applies to people aged 23+! You could also say that they earned 31.3% more than the minimum wage of £6.83 that applied to 18 to 20 year olds at the time. Or 2.3% less than the minimumn wage of £9.18 that applied to 21 to 22 year olds at the time. I'm very surprised that a study done in the UK didn't go deeper on age, especially when they're going to write such lines compared to minimum wage.

blablabla123 3y ago
True, they should have included that. I have the impression though that e.g. delivery jobs used to be considered student jobs instead of a full-time job to make a living from. While most gig workers seem rather young I'd think the age range has shifted upwards.
- pempem 3y ago
  I don't agree. A job is a job. It shouldn't be "for students". We would all balk about providing the same service and being paid less because we were "too young" despite providing the same skill and ability.
  - AnthonyMouse 3y ago
    It's not a matter of getting paid less for the same job, it's a matter of not having the same skills or experience. Employers need some incentive to take a chance on someone with no employment history.
    - mrguyorama 3y ago
      The incentive for taking a chance on an employee should be "I need to hire someone to grow my business so I can make more money". We should stop worshiping at the alter of "small businesses". We've done it for decades and I'm not convinced it has helped in the slightest. Small business owners have the worst victim complex I have ever seen.