Flexible Work vs. Gig Work. What’s the Difference?

A LOT has been written in recent years about the Gig Economy in the US, and it’s not a surprise considering that 36% of the workforce now identifies as a “Gig Worker”. Among all of this talk of the Ubers and Postmates of the world, it’s easy to throw other terms into the mix like flexible work or freelancing. In reality, these are not the same and have different implications for both the worker and the business hiring them. 

So, what is flexible work?

Gig work usually means a one-off task without a fixed schedule or consistency. Typically, the worker creates their own schedule, however, they’re not always guaranteed a gig or pay during the time they set aside to do this work. Take an Uber driver, for example, they decide to start working, turn on the app, and may or may not get to pick up ‘gigs’ during that time. The income is unknown when they start working and it can be inconsistent from day to day. 

Flexible work on the other hand is a completely different story. With flexible work, you’re assigned a schedule in advance with accepted hours and pay rates. In this scenario, the worker still decides when and how much they want to work but the largest impact here is that there is now a set expectation of pay and how much they will earn over the course of a shift or a day.

What are the benefits of flexible work?

Having a more predicatable earnings while still getting to keep a flexible work schedule has benefits on both sides of the worker and company equation. Hiring flexible workers means a company can tap into talent exactly when and where they are needed the most. They can scale up and down as needed. However, offering a worker a more consistent schedule rather than a one-off gig will lead to better retention of top talent who are much more committed to the company. 

On the talent side, flexible work allows them to choose their own schedules while still being able to rely on set shifts rather than quick tasks. It eliminates the uncertainty of just how much they’ll be making since pay rates are set in advance. Workers can feel more committed to a company and feel more secure in their job while having the option to balance obligations outside of work. The past few years have shown us that more and more of the workforce crave this type of arrangement and flexible work is the answer.

Planning to hire flexible workers this year? AllWork can help you onboard, manage, and pay them! We offer fast, easy, and compliant payment options. Get in touch at info@allworknow.com to learn more or schedule a demo of our platform here.