More independent-workers Stories

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You have probably heard about the rise of the independent worker and the impact of this trend on business practices. But your team is still all traditional employees, so this shift doesn’t affect you, does it? Maybe more than you think, argues SAP’s Julien Vayssiere. Read more »

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Call it the gig economy, Generation Flux or Freelance Nation, but whatever you term the rise in independent workers, the trend is reshaping management. How can you ensure that the contingent workers on your team feel as engaged and appreciated as the long-term employees? Read more »

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As careers become more fluid, diverse and self-directed and more of us work flexibly at multiple gigs or projects, the hard lines between spaces for work, family and play are also becoming less stark. Behold the railway station/office and coworking space/daycare. Read more »

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The Freelancers Union has launched its #GetPaidNotPlayed campaign highlighting a “deadbeat epidemic” of non-payment that the organization says cost each independent worker $4,600 on average last year. To urge New York State to pass legislation protecting freelancers’ rights they’re putting together one massive invoice. Read more »

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New research from independent work consultancy MBO Partners out today reveals that while people across the generations are interested in breaking out of the corporate grind and going solo, Baby Boomers are the most satisfied working independently. Read more »

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A long-time, female freelancer argues that, though the reason may be nurture rather than nature, women are often better equipped with the skills demanded of independent workers, including empathy, creativity and the ability to accept an uncertain, lower-status work style. Read more »

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The argument that work is increasingly untethered from the office and will take place more and more in coffee shop–type environments is pretty common, but one futurist is taking “coffeeshopification” a step further, claiming that universities and retail stores will resemble coffee shops as well. Read more »

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Thanks to $340 million in no or low-cost loans authorized by the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), the Freelancers Union is expanding its health insurance offerings for independent workers, offering a new low-cost option to those in New York, New Jersey and Oregon. Read more »

MBO Partners' Gene Zaino at Net:Work 2011

The CEO of MBO Partners, a services company for independent workers, argues against the harshest critics of corporate HR, asserting that he’s seen a dramatic rise in big companies’ awareness of and ability to take advantage of new ways of working. Read more »

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Flying Briefcase

Gene Zaino, of MBO Partners, believes that by 2020 more than half of U.S. workers will be independent, leading to a new independent majority. But for this to happen, we’ll have to see some significant legislative and structural changes. Read more »