{"id":28185,"date":"2019-05-27T10:28:17","date_gmt":"2019-05-27T02:28:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zegal.com\/?p=28185"},"modified":"2023-01-18T13:46:30","modified_gmt":"2023-01-18T05:46:30","slug":"a-letter-to-an-aspiring-lawyer-why-the-gig-economy-should-be-on-your-radar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zegal.com\/en-au\/blog\/post\/a-letter-to-an-aspiring-lawyer-why-the-gig-economy-should-be-on-your-radar\/","title":{"rendered":"A Letter To An Aspiring Lawyer: Why The Gig Economy Should Be On Your Radar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m going to start this article with a word that my fellow millennials will be all too familiar with, Uber. Believe it or not, Uber was founded just six years ago, but it’s already one of the fastest growing companies in the world. The peaks really do come with the plummets though, and the Uber sensation hasn\u2019t always been an easy ride, especially not for those behind the wheel. It was only last year that the company faced the Court of Appeal (UK) in a landmark case which could set a precedent for millions of workers in the gig economy<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, What Is The Gig Economy?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
No, not that kind of gig<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In short, the gig economy is a working pattern for individuals who hold self-employment status and pick up \u2018gigs\u2019 or a string of one off and short-term jobs, then receive payment for their services. Putting that into perspective, the Uber driver works for themselves (control) with this own car and insurance (materials) and pays their own taxes (PAYE).  The driver therefore runs their business and takes responsibility for its success or failure. This working style is becoming increasingly common in many types of profession, even the industry of legal professionals.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sounds Good, Right?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Many of the benefits to workers are clear. They include flexible schedules, the ability to work remotely, even the opportunity to select projects that interest them. It is thanks to technologies like \u2018the cloud\u2019, that allow us to work from wherever we are, reducing the need for people to attend the same office space at prescribed hours to do work assigned to them by someone else. Quite naturally, if this was the end of the article, I am sure people all over the world would be considering making the leap to this way of working, but with the highs come the lows. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What’s The Catch?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As an aspiring lawyer, someone who is trying to think with a balanced mind, you will no doubt be thinking \u201csure, that sounds great but there is a gap in that model\u201d and you’d be right. The gig economy, for the most part, grants the worker self-employment status, and as self-employment status comes through the door, employment rights make their way right out of it. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are The Risks Being Managed?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Simply put, self-employment or worker status does come with reduced employment rights. Redundancy pay, sick pay and holiday pay are reserved for those with full employment status. In an attempt to remedy this issue, the government assigned Matthew Taylor, together with other specialists in the field, to develop proposals in the employment rights for U.K. Citizens in what would become known as Good Work: The Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices.  <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aim of the review is based on a single overriding ambition: all work in the UK economy should be fair and decent with realistic scope for development and fulfilment. The Taylor Review\u2019s solution was to alter the third employment category of worker, changing it to \u2018dependent contractor\u2019. As the Good Work report stated: \u201cGovernment should retain the current three-tier approach to employment status as it remains relevant in the modern labour market but rename as \u2018dependent contractors\u2019 the category of people who are eligible for worker rights but who are not employees.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n