​​How the Gig Economy is Reshaping the Modern Workspace

The term "gig economy" came into popular use during the early 2000s, although its conceptual roots can be traced back to the 1990s. It was driven by the increasing prevalence of temporary and flexible jobs, facilitated by the rise of digital platforms such as Uber, Airbnb, and Upwork. 

These platforms enabled workers to engage in short-term, project-based tasks, often referred to as "gigs," thereby giving birth to the term "gig economy."  

The growth of this economy was further propelled by advancements in technology, the financial crisis of 2008, which led to a search for alternative income sources, and a cultural shift towards valuing flexibility and autonomy in work arrangements. It is this flexibility and autonomy that not only continues to drive a gig economy, but has adjusted employee expectation across all roles.  

We often see the term replaced with similar concept terms, such as zero hours contracts or the transient and seasonal workforce, contracts or freelance work. All opposed to what we commonly refer to as ‘permanent’ jobs. This is no longer a growing trend but a staple of how businesses operate and grow. With an explosion of online presence, brand and social content, it has emerged as a significant shift in the modern workforce, supported and driven by technological advancements, economic factors, and changing work preferences 

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Gig Economy 

The gig economy offers a range of significant advantages and disadvantages for both workers and employers, shaped by technological advancements and the evolving nature of work. 

Advantages for Workers 

• Autonomy and Flexibility: One of the primary benefits for workers in the gig economy is the ability to control, to a degree, their schedules and choose the projects they wish to undertake. This autonomy provides the opportunity for a better work-life balance and the ability to pursue multiple gigs simultaneously. 

• Diversity of Work: Gig workers can engage in a variety of tasks and industries, gaining a broad skill set and experience across different sectors. This diversity can enhance their employability and open doors to new opportunities, almost a try before you buy mentality to see what other verticals, technological areas or even geographies are available to them. 

• Technological Enablement: Digital platforms facilitate easy access to job opportunities, enabling workers to find gigs, submit proposals, and receive payments efficiently. The technological impact cannot be understated, as it has revolutionised the speed and ease with which workers can find and complete temporary work. 

Disadvantages for Workers 

Although the advantages seem to offer infinite flexibility and choice, there are of course counters to these; 

• Income Stability and Security: Despite the flexibility, gig workers often face income instability due to the project-based nature of their work. There is no guaranteed salary, and the availability of gigs can fluctuate, leading to financial uncertainty. 

• Lack of Benefits: Traditional employment benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and paid leave are typically not available to gig workers. This lack of benefits can pose significant challenges, particularly in terms of long-term financial planning and health security. Although many governments are acting on this and creating levels of protection, they are still not the same as those afforded to those in permanent employment. 

• Rapid Onboarding and Offboarding: The speed at which workers can be onboarded and offboarded in the gig economy can lead to a lack of continuity and stability in their professional lives. This transient nature may impact their ability to form lasting professional relationships and build a consistent career trajectory. 

Advantages for Employers 

For employers, having a workforce that can be flexed infinitely may seem amazing, but there are both positives and negatives that impact this flexibility. 

• Cost Efficiency: Hiring gig workers allows employers to reduce costs associated with full-time employees, such as salaries, benefits, and office space. They can scale their workforce up or down based on demand, leading to more efficient resource allocation. 

• Access to a Diverse Talent Pool: Employers can tap into a global talent pool, accessing specialised skills and expertise that may not be available locally. This diversity can lead to innovative solutions and a competitive edge in the market. 

• Technological Integration: The use of digital platforms and tools enables employers to manage gig workers effectively, streamline project management, and ensure timely payments. The technological infrastructure supports seamless communication and collaboration, enhancing productivity. 

Disadvantages for Employers 

• Lack of Loyalty and Commitment: Gig workers may not have the same level of loyalty and commitment to an organisation as full-time employees, leading to potential challenges in maintaining consistent quality and dedication to long-term projects. 

• Training and Integration Costs: The rapid onboarding and offboarding of gig workers can incur additional costs for training and integration. Employers may need to invest time and resources to bring new workers up to speed, which can affect overall efficiency. 

• Legal and Compliance Issues: Navigating the legal and regulatory landscape of hiring gig workers can be complex. Employers must ensure they comply with labour laws, tax regulations, and contractual obligations, which can pose administrative challenges. 

The gig economy presents a dynamic and evolving landscape, marked by both opportunities and challenges for workers and employers. The impact of technology has been a crucial enabler, allowing for the rapid growth and integration of gig work into the modern workforce, yet it also necessitates careful consideration of the associated drawbacks to maximise its potential benefits. 

What it means for the Modern Workspace 

There are two areas that I want to focus on when we look at gig workers and how it impacts businesses; firstly, how do you provision equipment, software, licenses identity etc to a user and how to you protect your data, associated assets and the access that is afforded to these individuals. 

As we have discussed previously in this article there are both benefits and disadvantages for employees and employers that operate in a temporary manner; this gig flexibility entails that the time it takes to onboard and equip a worker should be as streamlined as possible because after all, time is money.  

For many businesses BYOD (bring your own device) has become commonplace for a mobile device, but the concept of BYOD for devices such as laptops is less prevalent.  The reasons for this are many, but they all boil down to security of data, and a certain level of perceived control of the digital environment the worker operates in. By providing a gig worker with a device to carry out their role, assume for now this isn’t specialist equipment, we are just talking about a laptop or mobile phone there is a lead time, a cost and a not insignificant overhead a business has to cover for this provision.  There are many alternatives, but I want to highlight a few that CDW have delivered and how they stack up against each other. 

JML service 

JML is short for Joiners Movers and Leavers, a service that CDW operates around a device. Many businesses have tried to stock-hold devices for use with new starters and they may have a level of pre-build or build automation they use to prepare this device. The JML service from CDW takes this further, and with tools such as autopilot devices built using automation, where possible, applications are installed or even boot-loaded (see my marketplace article for more on this) and the device lifecycle includes collection, test, repair and return to stock.  The benefit here, especially with gig workers, is that a device can be passed between multiple users over its lifetime, with each user transition managed in a way that delivers a reliable experience to the next user and reduces the cost overhead of having to purchase new hardware. 

Virtual Apps & Desktops Services 

Another way or providing access to the gig workers is through the option of virtual interfaces, be that applications or full virtual desktop. There are many benefits here, not least the flexibility in sizing and the level of connectivity options available and the breadth of platform support for the remote employee. However, businesses need to have a virtual desktop and application infrastructure in place, whether that is on-premise or cloud, it still needs to be created, managed and orchestrated otherwise the time saved in not having to supply hardware to a gig worker is replaced with an administrative overhead for the VDI environment.  

There is also a second option within the VDI solution, which provides both a secure endpoint and a secure managed desktop to the gig user.  Read Only operating systems such as iGel or Google can be booted from a USB inserted into a device, allowing for a more controlled environment without the overhead of supplying hardware.  This is particularly useful for gig workers as there is no remaining footprint left on their device if using this method and access can be withdrawn at any moment. There is also the benefit that the USB thumb drive used to run these operating systems can be recycled locally and doesn’t require collection by the organisation. 

Shared Access Model 

Finally, there is the license extension model. In this scenario an organisation can create an account for the gig worker and extend licenses and permissions to them. The limitation here is that the gig worker will have to quite often accept a level of control on their device, and this control and posture assessment will be required every time they connect to the company network and resources. Although it is possible to simplify this quite far by relying on SaaS based applications that do not require local installation, the potential for data leakage, loss of content and control of this data and impacts such as endpoint ransomware remain higher than for example with managed devices or virtual solutions. 

Mobile Phones 

Although quite often not dealt with in the way as the laptop devices, I wanted to touch on the mobile phone options available to both employees and employers operating in the gig market. 

eSim

The increased prevalence and support of eSims by network operators and devices allows the addition, but also remote management of a second number for temporary workers that can be enabled and removed in seconds. There is also the added benefit of being able to tie a geographical phone number oOne that is not assigned as a mobile number) to these eSims, and also with a collaboration platform such as Teams.  This creates an ability for a gig worker to operate under a company number with the added benefits of control and reporting as well as s single number that can be removed from the device remotely at any time as well as shared voicemail with the collaboration platform, shared calling lists and inclusion in any regulatory tools being required. 

UCaaS number redirection

Already in use by many organisations numbers can be assigned per use case and removed automatically through Unified Communication platforms.  This method is quite often used with food delivery and maintenance services where customer contact is initiated under a temporary number and held throughout the interaction being released shortly after conclusion. Although slightly more complex to set up, it levels a level of anonymity and protection to the gig worker. 

Split Mobile OS

There are options within the Android Operating system found on many mobile devices that allows a virtual partitioning of the device, one for the gig worker and one that can be managed and controlled by the business, known as a work profile. Personally, although I am not a gig worker, I use this method to avoid having to carry two phones but still be able to reduce work notifications when I’m not working, a mental benefit I’ll probably share in a future article. 

Cost sensitive devices

Although certainly not the most environmentally friendly solution, there are now fully capable mobile devices available on the market at a price that I have some businesses refer to as disposable.  These devices come with 5G, high-definition cameras, contactless capabilities and a fully secured, industry-recognised operating system.  These are useful, but the cost to manage and maintain these devices can be higher than the purchase cost resulting in this disposable tag.  I am far from a supporter of this way of operating and would recommend, even with a budget device, businesses engage with CDW to look at an effective device collection and recycling regime for these. 

Adapting to the Gig Economy: A Guide for Businesses 

The gig economy is undeniably here to stay, and businesses need to adapt to work smoothly and efficiently within it. This adaptation requires thoughtful planning and a comprehensive understanding of how the end-to-end lifecycle operates. From Cost-Sensitive Devices to automated build and provision services there are options available, as a business you need to decide which one fits your operating model best and enables the gig workers as fully as possible while protecting your data and your systems. 

CDW can support your digital journey when looking to utilise gig workers and maximise their productivity, please contact us for more information.