Increasingly becoming more popular in the past years is the freelance work model. A freelancer is a worker who is not a regular employee and does not enjoy the benefits of one. He or she may sign work contracts on a per-project basis and can usually finish the work in a relatively short period of time.
This is nothing new, even in the Philippines. But in recent times it has become more widely practiced and embraced by workers who want to avoid the hassles of daily commute and to be able to manage the way they work: when, where and how. It has also become more popular with the millennials—the digital natives. Technology perfectly supports this manner of working.
According to recent studies by PayPal, Ernst & Young, and others, freelancing is going to experience further growth in the Philippines. The gig economy is going to become more popular and more accepted by many, especially those who can see that others are successful at this kind of arrangement. The estimate is that one out of every five workers will be working as a freelancer in 2020—that’s just more than a year from now. Additionally, the freelancers will be getting more jobs from other countries.
Aside from jobs in the creative industries (writer, artist, etc.), there are also freelancing opportunities in the fields of data entry/Internet research, virtual assistance, transport service, education and customer service.
As a matter of fact, freelancing is more accepted in other places today. In the United States, for example, freelancing is growing faster than traditional employment; 34 percent of the US work forces are freelancers. Locally, however, people are still looking for the security of a regular job. But, as time goes by and as a result of the technological changes in the modern world, there is increasing evidence that the Philippines is definitely heading in that direction. Because of this, everybody needs to step up to the challenges.
For instance, our lawmakers need to start discussing the relevant topics related to the impending explosion of the gig economy, like labor practices and policies, and taxation. Aside from that, freelancers need to band together for proper representation in the relevant forums. No one can better defend their rights and promote their welfare than the leaders or representatives from their own ranks.
Considering that America, for instance, started way earlier but still contends with a lot of holes and gray areas in regulation and legislation, the Philippines apparently has a lot of catching up to do in terms of clarifying issues and regulatory guidelines. Otherwise, it will definitely lead to a lot of confusion, breaches, disputes and diminished workers’ rights.