There’s a really interesting asymmetry at play here.

Gig workers are suddenly recognized as imperative members of the labor force, yet, they are subject to even worse working conditions than before. I could see two intuitive ways this asymmetry gets resolved.

In the optimistic case, I think gig workers could leverage their importance right now for better working conditions. Under collective bargaining, I think they could really get ahead of what was about to be a huge automation disruption. An example might be a delivery drivers’ union formed to help protect drivers from COVID-19. That union might play a key role post-COVID-19 if/when these services try to remove even more “friction” (i.e. human labor).

In the pessimistic case, automation might outpace gig workers’ ability to collectively bargain for better working conditions. For example, fast food companies might invest in more kiosks and fewer people in a pivot towards “friction-less” takeout dining.

I think the consumer bears some level of responsibility to point us toward the first outcome. It’s obvious from a financial perspective why companies might prefer the second outcome. From a consumer’s perspective though, I hope we can all take stock in how reliable and robust the gig economy has been for us.

I’d feel a lot more comfortable with gig workers having more influence going forward, as they’ve proven to have good judgement with respect to the commonwealth. That’s more than I can say on behalf of most corporate leadership.

Clearly, this has been a thought-provoking read for me. Thanks for shedding light on such an engaging topic!