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Is this anything more than a scary way to describe a pricing algorithm?

by treis 1y ago

gambiting 1y ago
Honest question - are you trying to downplay the absolute horror of our technofeudalistic society, where nurses(!!!) are paid in a gig economy betting on their hours, where (if you read the report) the hospitals are free to cancel their shifts with no or little penalty even during the shift, while nurses are heavily penalized on every side, and things like having a lot of debt means you will be offered less money for your shifts because the app determines you are desperate? Yes sure, technically that's no different than Uber hiking up your price at 3am because really, what other choices do you have. But I do hope you spend a minute to wonder what is it doing to our society as a whole, and how the relentless pursuit of profit means we treat people whose job is literally to look after others like disposable trash that can be priced the same way a taxi ride is. Sure, it's "just a scary way to describe it" - and I hope it's really scary.
- treis 1y ago
  What you described is nothing new. Staffing firms for nurses have existed for a long time. These apps are automating the process and making it easier for both sides. I'm open to the idea that it's worse for workers but I haven't seen it. People seem to flock to these apps. To me that means they prefer the arbitrary and capricious nature of an algorithm over the arbitrary and capricious nature of human managers.
  - gambiting 1y ago
    >>Staffing firms for nurses have existed for a long time. Do those staffing firms for nurses also pull information on your credit card debt and offer nurses less money if they have a lot of debt?
    - treis 1y ago
      That doesn't really address my point.
      - gambiting 1y ago
        I'm sorry, what is your point then. Because I thought it was that the apps and hiring houses for nurses are effectively the same - which is why I'm asking if they also pay less if you have more debt.
        treis 1y ago
        That in practice the arbitrary nature of the algorithm is superior to the arbitrary nature of human hiring.
        gambiting 1y ago
        For the company the algorithm works for? Yeah, no doubt about it. For the nurses? No, I don't believe that - unless like I asked earlier, the employment agencies also reduce their pay if they think they are desperate. In which case I'm happy to concede this point.

Is this anything more than a scary way to describe a pricing algorithm?

by treis 1y ago

Is this anything more than a scary way to describe a pricing algorithm?

Honest question - are you trying to downplay the absolute horror of our technofeudalistic society, where nurses(!!!) are paid in a gig economy betting on their hours, where (if you read the report) the hospitals are free to cancel their shifts with no or little penalty even during the shift, while nurses are heavily penalized on every side, and things like having a lot of debt means you will be offered less money for your shifts because the app determines you are desperate? Yes sure, technically that's no different than Uber hiking up your price at 3am because really, what other choices do you have. But I do hope you spend a minute to wonder what is it doing to our society as a whole, and how the relentless pursuit of profit means we treat people whose job is literally to look after others like disposable trash that can be priced the same way a taxi ride is. Sure, it's "just a scary way to describe it" - and I hope it's really scary.

treis 1y ago
What you described is nothing new. Staffing firms for nurses have existed for a long time. These apps are automating the process and making it easier for both sides. I'm open to the idea that it's worse for workers but I haven't seen it. People seem to flock to these apps. To me that means they prefer the arbitrary and capricious nature of an algorithm over the arbitrary and capricious nature of human managers.
- gambiting 1y ago
  >>Staffing firms for nurses have existed for a long time. Do those staffing firms for nurses also pull information on your credit card debt and offer nurses less money if they have a lot of debt?
  - treis 1y ago
    That doesn't really address my point.
    - gambiting 1y ago
      I'm sorry, what is your point then. Because I thought it was that the apps and hiring houses for nurses are effectively the same - which is why I'm asking if they also pay less if you have more debt.
      - treis 1y ago
        That in practice the arbitrary nature of the algorithm is superior to the arbitrary nature of human hiring.
        gambiting 1y ago
        For the company the algorithm works for? Yeah, no doubt about it. For the nurses? No, I don't believe that - unless like I asked earlier, the employment agencies also reduce their pay if they think they are desperate. In which case I'm happy to concede this point.