Companies Scrapping Plans for the Fall, Two Jobs at the Same Time, Gig Customer Service Agents Replacing Old Models, and More...

There are approximately 60 million Independent workers in the United States, representing $1.5 trillion in U.S. GDP and growing. Projections estimate that 50% of our U.S. workforce will be independent workers by 2025- 2030. The Gig Economy represents a trend that will digitally transform how organizations engage with talent.

I believe that?every organization?in?every industry?needs a Gig Economy strategy. Not having one in 2021 is like missing the internet trend in 1990 or the mobile revolution in 2010.

The Freelance Revolution

The rise of independent contractors and globalization of knowledge work is the Industrial Revolution of our time. Everywhere we look, we can see the U.S. workforce undergoing a massive and structural change.

How Freelancing Is Changing Work?- "When you talk to workers, they don't want to sign up for a 9-to-5 job," said Hayden Brown, who runs Upwork, a site that matches freelancers with employers.

HUMAN Protocol and Elrond Network Is Accesalaring Gig Economy and Machine Learning?- The HUMAN Protocol Foundation and Elrond Network blockchain platform teamed up to reinvent how humans and machines interact. They are creating a blockchain-based marketplace that would connect the world's freelance workforce with limitless demand for human annotation of raw data by the companies building A.I. systems.

Can Gig Workers Solve the Hotel Labor Crisis??- Traditionally, hotels would hire full-time staff directly. Now, some hotels are plumbing another way to fill positions, one that's long been more familiar with the likes of Uber or Task Rabbit, to name two: the gig economy.

HotelPlanner in SPAC Deal as It Grows Ranks of 2,000 Gig Economy Customer Service Agents?-?HotelPlanner found itself a niche in leisure-oriented hotel bookings for groups. It is bent on disrupting the call center model in travel but will have to prove that its gig-economy customer services agents can develop travel expertise.

App-Based Corporations Can't Just Ignore Labor Law?- In May 2021, Spain became the first European country to legally recognize delivery riders as employees of platform companies and guarantee them trade union representation. The Spanish "rider law" aims to protect an estimated?seventeen thousand precarious workers?who lack basic employment protections like a minimum wage, sick pay, and collective bargaining.

The Hybrid Workplace

We see unprecedented numbers of companies implementing remote work programs. The way we work has forever changed and will require new skills and leadership approaches.

The Remote Trend Of Working Two Jobs At The Same Time Without Both Companies Knowing?- Are you curious about what other people have been doing while working from home during the pandemic? It's always interesting to learn how people really spent their time—and not what they tell their bosses, family, and friends.

In a Hybrid Office, Remote Workers Will Be Left Behind?- It's a common refrain these days: Let workers decide where and when they work. The impetus, of course, stems from the pandemic, when employers sent office workers home for a year and a half, with surprisingly few hiccups. Productivity didn't suffer, and workers enjoyed their newfound freedom. Now, we're told, companies can't go back to the old, controlling ways without workers revolting.

Remote Work Is Inexorable?-?Around 30%-50% of jobs can be remoted. In emerging economies like China or India, it's more like 10%-20%. However, the jobs that can be remoted tend to pay much better, so the impact on any given economy will be outsized when people work remotely.?

Companies Thought They Had Plans for Fall. Now They Are Scrapping Them.?- Up until a few weeks ago, corporate leaders felt confident about what to expect this fall. Offices would reopen after Labor Day. Business travel would resume more broadly. Long-delayed work gatherings, conventions, and off-site meetings would finally take place. The pandemic has, once again, upended many of those plans.

Workplace Wellness?

We will spend one-third of our lives working, and the disruption to the way we work has never moved faster. This can impact our overall wellness as we navigate the changing landscape and fight for balance.

?The rise of workplace wellness: A history?-?John F. Kennedy once said, "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past and present are certain to miss the future." Anyone working in the wellness industry and seeking a path forward in this post-COVID-19 pandemic era should keep this quote in mind. It is clear that the more things change, the more they remain the same for wellness practitioners. Welcome to the new normal.

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PAUL ESTES, the best-selling author of the newly released book?Gig Mindset?and is an unstoppable advocate for the simple idea of ensuring that all voices are heard and that all people have access to opportunity. This passion is inspired by the quote from the late?Leila Janah?"Talent?is equally distributed,?opportunity is not."?Now is the time to address systemic?location bias?and encourage companies to reach beyond their organizational boundaries to engage the world's best minds.??For 20 years, He struggled to balance his life with fast-moving leadership roles at Dell, Amazon, and Microsoft. He led a team of progressive H.R., procurement, and legal trailblazers to launch Microsoft's Gig Economy freelance program. Hiring his first virtual assistant transformed the way he lived and worked.

Paul is the former host of the Gig Mindset and?The Talent Economy podcast. Each week, Paul provides insights and perspective to over 95,000 readers of his weekly LinkedIn newsletter, and he frequently shares his insights as a keynote speaker and panelist. He has nine pending patents in content and collaboration related to the on-demand economy.?