The term 'gig' originated from musicians to refer to the performances they are paid to do. Gigs are typically short-term temporary jobs. Gig workers are usually paid not on contract but based on project done or sometimes by hourly work.
During the pandemic, the gig economy rose significantly. We saw an influx of gig workers since almost everyone was laid off from their jobs and had to find something to do remotely. Now, it has almost became the norm. The pros of being a gig worker is you control your time. You do not need to clock in or clock out. No need to leave the comfort of your own house. You have more flexibility as long as you meet the terms of the project.
But we can't forget about the cons as well. Gig workers are essentially both the employee and the employer. They provide their own material or equipment to be used for their jobs. They are the ones to take care of employee benefits like healthcare insurance. Legal expenses are also their burden. One of the biggest factors of being a gig worker is its instability. Unlike employees, you are not contracted for a long time. So if you fail to find a job for a certain amount of time, you will not be earning anything.
Is being a gig worker worth all the cons mentioned? or do you still find being a traditional employee more appealing?
Gig work is great for filling the role of a secondary job if you choose to push yourself or need to make a bit of extra cash to cover bills, however it is really tough if that's your primary income. They are often without most of the safety net that a full time position can give you - things like sick pay or holiday, so you must work to survive. They sometimes require you to take care of your own tax arrangements (which is less common in Europe than say, America) as well. Some do actually add in unnecessary extra expenses to a transaction, companies like JustEat and Deliveroo for example - might help in certain situations but many restaurants are now realizing that having their own delivery drivers is actually more cost effective with the chunk of commission these companies demand.