Gig employment exposes workers to exploitation

[SaiczhGuest]

In Singapore, the Employment Act do not make it mandatory for employers to contribute to short term contract workers' CPF. Neither are they required to provide benefits such as medical leave or pay on public holiday. Essentially, if a short term contract worker is absent from work due to illness, he/she suffers double "penalty" for being sick that day: absent - no sick leave - no pay. For this group of workers, even catching common cold is a luxury that they can ill afford. No pun intended - it's the cold reality! Moreover, even if a monthly pay is stated in the contract, the worker will not be paid the full month's pay if that month happens to include a public holiday. It is because the law excludes the short term contract from enjoying paid public holidays. So although it is a legal "public" holiday, and the worker works every available working day in that month, he/she will be penalised for not working on that public holiday, which is no fault of his/hers!

[crumblepieGuest]

Agreed. The 'gig' economy is just a spin on something that has always existed - precariously employed labour. Let's not deny the benefits it brings to those already employed with spare time and are willing to engage some freelance work. But to conceive of the gig economy as revolutionary and completely beneficial is to blindside the implications it has for those unable to secure permanent employment (such as those you already mentioned). Just nonsense on stilts of the highest level.