The pandemic threw open another interesting dimension of the gig world of work. The greatest motivation for people to do a gig is the flexibility.....and the flip side of this flexibility came as quite a surprise during the pandemic, even as it should have been quite obvious.
The world of gigs is different from the world of employment and that of business ( business as in trading, manufacturing, and most types services except gigs). It is the flexibility at so many levels and on many dimensions such as timing, components/ composition/ job-mix of the gig, type of relationship, differential pricing etc that makes gigs attractive to many professionals. The pandemic brought the flexibility in association and disassociation to the fore. The convenience of easy separation and no such thing as terminal
benefits was used by all those who give work. The world has a great respect for startup entrepreneurs, managers and officials, businessmen of all types, but the gigapreneur is both a pariah and saviour at the same time. During the pandemic the pariah didn't deserve even the crumbs as he had chosen the insecure path. Now at the end of the pandemic, while many professionals after enjoying the WFH experience want work in the gig economy, it is a decision one must make with caution. One pandemic can dry up savings made over 30 yrs of doing gigs as living off savings and a few big sudden expenses can throw any giger off balance.
Explaining what you do to all those who wish you well and want to see you secure, and those who want to understand what you do or those who want to understand
why someone would choose to do such unstable work if they were even reasonably competent is another difficult aspect which even those who are economically well off have to endure....and it is difficult not to care!
To gig or not to gig that is the question. The answer is entirely a personal choice with strong social repercussions.
As for me, I just say that I have retired!
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