Navigating the Gig Economy's Impact on Workforce Management and Worker's Rights
By: Jose Luis Garcia, UP SOLAIR Graduate Student
Gig work (work characterized by short-term and freelance jobs whose transactions are now increasingly being done through digital platforms) is increasingly affecting the world of work. With its rise came changing employment arrangements and relationships that even reach into core and essential positions in some organizations. Given this increasing trend in gigification, the class of IR 204 (Labor and the Economy) taught by Dr. Verna Dinah Viajar organized a webinar that explores the implications of the gig economy and the gigification of work on workers’ rights and workforce management.
The webinar, titled From 8-5 to 24/7 Hustle: Exploring the Impact of Gig Economy, was held on the 8th of June 2024 via Zoom teleconference. It was attended by more than two hundred (200+) attendees eager to understand the gig economy, the perspectives of human resource (HR) management practitioners, and the legal protections of gig workers. Among the attendees were civil servants, HR and Labor Relations officers, employees of for-profit organizations from different industries, students, educators, researchers, development workers, and entrepreneurs.
Facilitated by hosts Mr. Franco Luis del Rosario and Ms. Rhonadale Florentino of the IR 204 class, the webinar started with some opening remarks by Dr. Verna Dinah Viajar. This was then followed by a video presentation of the insightful interviews done with gig workers Khirsten Jardeleza, Coily Lozada, and John Philip Cruz. After a brief synthesis by Mr. Franco Luis del Rosario, an overview of the rights and legal framework covering gig workers was given by Atty. Alvin Liao Alburo. The session then ended with a comprehensive analysis of the impacts of gig work and the gig economy on workforce management by Coach Darwin Rivers.
The webinar received positive feedback from the participants, with the one of them remarking that the webinar was “concise, informative, and very practical”. Another participant remarked that they “appreciated the depth of the discussions, explanations, and insights on the world of gig work”. Another said that “the overall organization of the webinar resulted in an engaging and knowledgeable event”.
A key takeaway from the webinar is that labor is people. And people, whatever their work arrangement or setup may be, are at the heart of the production process. Because of this, it is important that we prepare ourselves and our organizations for the impact of the rise of gig work and the gig economy and to make sure that no one gets left behind. The class of IR 204 section WOPQ1 is very grateful for their professor, the speakers, and the attendees for making the event possible.