Gig Workers Check the Algorithm's Math, Should Fiverr Worry About LinkedIn, Hybrid Time, 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.

Looking for an AND. C.O. Alternative? Try These 8 Freelance Accounting Platforms - AND. C.O. has helped hundreds of thousands of freelancers to manage their finances better. But it's by no means a one-size-fits-all option and won't work for everyone. These days, there are plenty of bookkeeping options for self-employed people.

Gig Workers Gather Their Own Data to Check the Algorithm's Math - Drivers for Uber, Lyft, and other firms are building apps to compare their mileage with payslips. One group is selling the data to government agencies.

Gig Workers Are The Workforce Of The Future: Here's How To Engage Them - More and more, workers are breaking free of the 9-to-5 paradigm and striking out on their own as independent contractors, freelancers, and digital nomads. As much as 40 percent of the U.S. workforce is engaged in some gig work, and even before the pandemic, the gig economy grew triple the overall national workforce rate.

Should Fiverr Investors Be Worried About LinkedIn? - Fiverr (NYSE: FVRR) shares are down more than 12% this week after multiple sources reported that Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) builds an online freelancing marketplace through its LinkedIn subsidiary.

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.

Getting Your Team Ready for the Hybrid Office - In all the years I've been a remote-work advocate, there's one thing I've consistently noticed when talking to remote workers: They rarely want to go back to the office. Recent studies have also shown that only 12% of employees are willing to work full-time from an office in the future.

Has your company embraced the remote work revolution? - The best remote workplaces aren't pared down iterations of the physical office. They have their features, rhythms, norms, and policies that help people succeed no matter how far they are from the organization's actual power centers. It's time to recognize these organizations as the best companies for remote workers.

What startup founders are saying on creating sustainable work cultures - The director of Slack's venture capital arm shares advice and insights from its group of startup founders for 2021. 

The start of this new year marks an opportune time to reflect. While we've all happily waved goodbye to 2020, business leaders still face a great deal of uncertainty as we turn the corner.

The workplace apps that could change the nature of work - I was waiting to meet Lauren Strenger in the virtual headquarters of Gather. This startup builds digital office space for remote teams that miss the feeling of physically being together. Gather's office serves as a workspace where its employees regularly meet and hang out. Still, it also doubles as a showcase for skeptical visitors who want to see the company's technology's capability.

 Workplace Wellness 

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

 Work Depression: How to Take Care of Your Mental Health on the Job - If you feel depressed when working, you're not alone. Sadness, anxiety, loss of motivation, difficulty concentrating, unexplained bouts of crying, and boredom are just a small sampling of the things you may be feeling if you're experiencing depressive symptoms at work.

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.