One of the biggest pros about the gig economy is you can work when you want to work however for a few gigs that are really not 100% accurate. A few gigs like DoorDash, Shipt, Instacart and a few others actually require you to be on a schedule to get the most out of doing their gig.
Within the gig economy, the idea of a schedule is not always the most popular. One of the biggest parts of working in the gig economy is doing it when you want. If you have to put yourself on the schedule then how is your “gig” any different then a normal job.
To talk more about scheduling I wanted to do a post about its pros & cons.
Pros For Scheduling In The Gig Economy
- More Work For Dedicated Workers
It’s been said 20% of workers do 80% of the work and I am sure that is true in the gig economy. Those that work the hardest and make full time work out of the gig economy (not recommended). Certainly, they do deserve some benefits for the companies they work in. This gives those people a huge advantage.
- More Structured Work Environment
If you are someone looking to work in a more structured gig environment you may like this. For example, if you every once and a while like working on Wednesdays and you know you’ll always want to do this on Wednesdays this could be good.
Cons For Scheduling In The Gig Economy
- Shifts Become Hard To Find
Want to deliver food for DoorDash on a Saturday night in Cleveland, Ohio? Good luck, it will be a miracle to find a shift for it. You can work in high demand areas but those constantly change and you will be waiting a long time for deliveries constantly.
- Hard To Get Into Gig
Often times veterans working for a gig company will get early access to schedules. This makes it very hard for those new to the gig to get into profitable time slots.
- You Are Operating On The Gig’s Time Not Your Own
If you want to take a 15-minute break tough luck. Do you want to end your shift early? Nope, you gotta deliver. With schedules, you are operating on the gig company’s time, not your own.
- You Need To Remember To Schedule Yourself
If you forget to schedule yourself for a shift you are more or less screwed. No working for the gig for you today.
- No Just Jumping In When You Are Bored
Lets say you got 2 hours and you want to make some quick money. If there are no spots in the schedule then you are outta luck. Chances are you won’t be able to deliver or work for whatever gig you are wanting to.
Pros For On-Demand In The Gig Economy
Work Whenever You Want
No more hoping you can grab a shift or timeslot. With on-demand working you work whenever you want and you can determine you want to work whenever you want too!
Take Breaks Whenever You Want
Since you can turn off and on your app you can take breaks whenever you want to. This is especially nice for pee breaks or for when you get “Hangry” (Hungry+Angry).
Stop Or Begin On Weird Time Intervals
Instead of waiting till the end of an hour or fifteen-minute interval you can leave your shift whenever. Or you can begin your shift whenever. It helps your time be used more efficiently instead of having to wait to work or take a gig request you don’t want because you have to stay on the clock.
On-Demand Gig Working Is The Future
If gig companies are asking for you to work on a contract basis then you should be able to work on contract time. Personally, I think on-demand working is the future for the gig economy meaning you can log on and work whenever you want like Uber & Lyft.
Many delivery companies tend to work off schedules. It makes some sense of their needs. However other delivery companies like Postmates go off of on-demand working and they make it work. It really is a debate for the ages.
If you’re looking at working in the gig economy full time vs. getting a 9-5 job W2 position please check out this article by us.
