Is Your Work Schedule More Important Than … Everything Else?

The Wall Street Journal has a techie article that celebrates the “uberization” of more traditional types of jobs. Author Christopher Mims reports on Gigwalk, “which started out as more or less the Uber of people who check on the work of merchandisers like Mr. Gainer.” Mims gushes: “The result inside Crossmark, which employs tens of thousands of associates, is something unexpected but surprisingly effective. It is a labor marketplace rapidly taking over tasks that used to be accomplished by traditional management. Just like Uber, the result is a flexible pool of employees who have some say over when they work—and who are tasked—according to their location, skills and availability.” Certainly, the freedom to control one’s schedule is important. But what is lost in the transaction? 1. Co-workers. 2. Training and development. 3. Employer sponsored health insurance. 4. Minimum wage. 5. Overtime pay. 6. Paid vacation. 7. Sick leave. 8. Social Security, unless you, the “contractor," pay all of the work-related contribution. 9. Employer retirement plan. 10. Employer profit-sharing plan. 11. Access to a union. 12. Worker’s compensation, when you’re injured on the job. Likely, I forgot other important elements of a traditional job. The uberization phenomenon has particular appeal to younger workers, who sometimes cannot see that, down the road, their bodies will falter or fail, their income will be inadequate, their bargaining power will shrink to nil—and their cell phones will not provide the companionship and support of a work culture and colleagues.