Non-traditional work: How temporary workers can shape their future
Jana Retkowsky examined how people with temporary jobs, such as in the gig-economy, can build their careers. Nowadays, more and more people work through short-term contracts and have to arrange their own pensions and health care. This is different from the past, when permanent jobs were common and employers regulated a lot.
Retkowsky shows that temporary workers are mostly concerned with short-term survival, rather than planning their careers for the long term. For people working through platforms like UberEats, she noted that the way they are managed through algorithms often leads to poor work experiences. This causes everyone on the platform to treat each other worse, which is difficult to break.
Retkowsky shows that these workers need different support than people with permanent jobs. For example, by joining groups that can help them with career advice and training, they can better plan their future. It is also important that policymakers, companies and workers work together to improve working conditions for this group.
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