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[martinamartellotta]

Pros and cons, Martina

Pros:

it is easier to find a job. There are many platforms that publish announcements from agencies, firms, or even small activities and families that look for employees or help to do tasks. The platform InesToptata has, in fact, helped me and my friends to find a job as babysitters. 

People can get help with their tasks. I know people who looked online for teachers to help them study in high school. 

People can save time and other people can be paid to do tasks on their behalf. If I do not have time to go and take the pizzas from the restaurant I ordered the food from, I can let someone do it and he/she/they will be paid.

The flexibility. The gig economy offers different jobs and some can be reconciled with other jobs or with other tasks. This is what Bujar (The Economist) does to make some money while studying engineering. 

The pay can be good, just as it is for Simon and Sophia (The Economist)

Cons:

Some work does not take place under safe conditions and platforms take on “little to no liability”. The Guardian points out that the company offers a kit that the workers have to buy but does not verify if they work in safe conditions. 

there is no specific and clear definition for these platforms and they can take advantage of this. Huws highlights that it is impossible to legislate for these platforms. 

dehumanization of the workers. The workers are not treated properly by the platforms but neither by customers. For instance, The Guardian tells the experience of a rider in Dublin who fall off the bike while doing delivery and was asked by the customer if the food was okay.

The pay can be really low since there are no contracts that can regulate it. One of my friends works for JustEat and he already knows how much he will be paid but he is underpaid.

Personal expenses. In the article from The Guardian, riders have to buy their own bikes and a friend of mine has to pay for his gasoline.