Professional self-employment, new power and the sharing economy: Some cautionary tales from Uber

Abstract

This article reflects on some of the major changes in the ways that people are working today, changes often driven by a preference for greater autonomy and choice, but also to work on a sharing, collaborative or networked basis. Many of the growing numbers of independent professionals are attracted by these ways of working. Developments in Information and Communication Technology have been critical, especially in enabling services, including professional services, to be delivered via internet platforms. This has created, in effect, new forms of intermediation and increasingly complex work relationships. These developments have often proved very controversial, as instanced by the disputes surrounding Uber, the international, internet-based taxi provider. Many of these changes also raise issues of accountability and work quality, along with creating new patterns of work relationships. Inevitably, the changes also highlight the role of regulation, which is the main focus of this article The topic is explored against a backdrop of much recent deregulation, challenges to so-called ‘red tape’ and laissez faire policies. The myriad of disputes and litigation involving Uber is examined and reflected upon. There are, of course, many differences between the taxi drivers of Uber and the designers, journalists, engineers and consultants, typical of independent professional working, but there are also some key parallels and experiences that provide a cautionary tale!

Defining the Sharing Economy for Sustainability

“…Literature suggests the proliferation of the sharing economy is driven by the great recession of 2007-2008 [16,[73][74][75][76][77], growing social inequality [73,78], increased environmental awareness [14,16,74,79,80], proliferation of ICT [44,74,81] and convenience [45,79,[82][83][84][85], among others. As such, authors expressed differing motivations among actors involved in the sharing economy.…”

Independent professionals and the potential for HRM innovation

“…For many organizations, due diligence and compliance surrounding the engagement and management of contracted workers is paramount, particularly in light of concerns about sham contracts (McNeilly, 2013;Leighton and Wynn, 2011) and potential confusion over employer status (Leighton, 2016). The tensions and debates surrounding non-employee status are longstanding with courts around the world struggling to find coherent tests differentiating employee from the self-employed non-employeea situation compounded by the increasing complexity and diversity within employment relationships themselves (Casale, 2011;Deakin, 2007).…”

Sharing economy: becoming an Uber driver in a developing country

“…In conclusion of this section, Leighton (2016) analyzed the regulatory framework related to Uber drivers concluding that it faces the same controversies and uncertainties of independent self-employed professionals. The author also considers that the changes from the traditional work relation to the flexible independent gig work are as radical as they were seen in the eighteenth century during the industrial revolution.…”