In this first section we look at what the sharing economy, or gig economy as it’s also called, really means. We’ll take a look at why the emphasis is on sharing, and what it is that people are sharing.
This economy works slightly differently and so issues like job rights and protection come up. We ask whether or not this is a viable long-term employment solution. But first, let’s have a look at part time jobs for students.
This first section contains 6 steps. Work them through step by step.
Step
Activity
Introduction
Find out what you already know.
Step 1
Speaking
Answer questions about jobs. Discuss these with a classmate. Tick names of gig economy list. Explain what these organisations do.
Step 2
Watching
Watch a video about the Sharing Economy. Answer questions.
Step 3
Reading
Make a note of five disadvantages of this way of working. Read a text and answer questions in your own words.
Step 4
Words
Choose correct definition of some words from the text. Complete sentences with these words.
Step 5
Grammar
Theory about inversions. Two exercises about inversions.
Step 6
Task
Create with a classmate a sharing economy app for shopping delivery. Brainstorm about ideas.
You are going to watch a video, which explains what The Sharing Economy means.
What do you think so far about the Sharing Economy?
Is it generally a positive development of the 21st century? Why?
Note down at least three reasons.
Step 3 - Reading
In Step 2 you watched a video that presented the Sharing Economy as a vibrant 21st century development.
But now you’re going to read about why people may not be so contented with this way of working.
Make a note of five disadvantages of this way of working: You only get paid when you work.
Now read the article – were your ideas mentioned?
What is the 'gig' economy? By Bill Wilson
Business reporter, BBC News
10 February 2017
From the section Business
What is the so-called "gig" economy, a phrase increasingly in use, and seemingly so in connection with employment disputes?
According to one definition, it is "a labour market characterised by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work, as opposed to permanent jobs". And - taking opposing partisan viewpoints - it is either a working environment that offers flexibility with regard to employment hours, or... it is a form of exploitation with very little workplace protection.
The latest attempt to bring a degree of legal clarity to the employment status of people in the gig economy has been playing out in the Court of Appeal. A London firm, Pimlico Plumbers, on Friday lost its appeal against a previous ruling that said one of its long-serving plumbers was a worker - entitled to basic rights, including holiday pay - rather than an independent contractor. Like other cases of a similar nature, such as those involving Uber and Deliveroo, the outcome will now be closely scrutinised for what it means regarding the workplace rights of the millions of people employed in the gig economy in the UK.
In the gig economy, instead of a regular wage, workers get paid for the "gigs" they do, such as a food delivery or a car journey. In the UK it's estimated that five million people are employed in this type of capacity. Not only do jobs include couriers but also ride-hailing drivers and video producers.
Proponents of the gig economy claim that people can benefit from flexible hours, with control over how much time they can work as they juggle other priorities in their lives. In addition, the flexible nature often offers benefits to employers, as they only pay when the work is available, and don't incur staff costs when the demand is not there.
Meanwhile, workers in the gig economy are classed as independent contractors.
That means they have no protection against unfair dismissal, no right to redundancy payments, and no right to receive the national minimum wage, paid holiday or sickness pay. It is these aspects that are proving contentious.
In the past few months, two tribunal hearings have gone against employers looking to classify staff as independent contractors.
Last October Uber drivers in the UK won the right to be classed as workers rather than independent contractors. The ruling by a London employment tribunal meant drivers for the ride-hailing app would be entitled to holiday pay, paid rest breaks and the national minimum wage.
The GMB union described the decision as a "monumental victory" for some 40,000 drivers in England and Wales. In December, Uber launched an appeal against the ruling that it had acted unlawfully.
And hardly had the courts finished with one case, than a tribunal found that Maggie Dewhurst, a courier with logistics firm City Sprint, should be classed as a worker rather than independent contractor, entitling her to basic rights. And, also towards the end of last year, a group of food takeaway couriers working for Deliveroo said they were taking legal steps in the UK to gain union recognition and workers' rights. One difference worth noting is that workers in the gig economy differ slightly from those on zero hours contracts. Those are the - also controversial - arrangements used by companies such as Sports Direct, JD Wetherspoons and Cineworld. Like workers in the gig economy, zero-hours contractors - or casual contractors - don't get guaranteed hours or much job security from their employer. But people on zero-hours contracts are seen as employees in some sense, as they are entitled to holiday pay.
But, like those in the gig economy, they are not entitled to sick pay. Meanwhile, the Department for Business is holding an inquiry into a range of working practices - including the gig economy.
The department says it wants to ensure its employment rules are up to date to reflect "new ways of working". The status of gig economy workers is of importance to the government, as last November's Autumn Statement showed for the first time how it is cutting into the government's tax take. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimated that in 2020-21 it will cost the Treasury £3.5bn. Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond said then he would look to find more effective ways to tax workers in the UK's current shifting labour environment.
In the exercise choose the correct definition of the words from the text What is the 'gig' Economy?.
What is the 'gig' economy? By Bill Wilson
Business reporter, BBC News
10 February 2017
From the section Business
What is the so-called "gig" economy, a phrase increasingly in use, and seemingly so in connection with employment disputes?
According to one definition, it is "a labour market characterised by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work, as opposed to permanent jobs". And - taking opposing partisan viewpoints - it is either a working environment that offers flexibility with regard to employment hours, or... it is a form of exploitation with very little workplace protection.
The latest attempt to bring a degree of legal clarity to the employment status of people in the gig economy has been playing out in the Court of Appeal. A London firm, Pimlico Plumbers, on Friday lost its appeal against a previous ruling that said one of its long-serving plumbers was a worker - entitled to basic rights, including holiday pay - rather than an independent contractor. Like other cases of a similar nature, such as those involving Uber and Deliveroo, the outcome will now be closely scrutinised for what it means regarding the workplace rights of the millions of people employed in the gig economy in the UK.
In the gig economy, instead of a regular wage, workers get paid for the "gigs" they do, such as a food delivery or a car journey. In the UK it's estimated that five million people are employed in this type of capacity. Not only do jobs include couriers but also ride-hailing drivers and video producers.
Proponents of the gig economy claim that people can benefit from flexible hours, with control over how much time they can work as they juggle other priorities in their lives. In addition, the flexible nature often offers benefits to employers, as they only pay when the work is available, and don't incur staff costs when the demand is not there.
Meanwhile, workers in the gig economy are classed as independent contractors.
That means they have no protection against unfair dismissal, no right to redundancy payments, and no right to receive the national minimum wage, paid holiday or sickness pay. It is these aspects that are proving contentious.
In the past few months, two tribunal hearings have gone against employers looking to classify staff as independent contractors.
Last October Uber drivers in the UK won the right to be classed as workers rather than independent contractors. The ruling by a London employment tribunal meant drivers for the ride-hailing app would be entitled to holiday pay, paid rest breaks and the national minimum wage.
The GMB union described the decision as a "monumental victory" for some 40,000 drivers in England and Wales. In December, Uber launched an appeal against the ruling that it had acted unlawfully.
And hardly had the courts finished with one case, than a tribunal found that Maggie Dewhurst, a courier with logistics firm City Sprint, should be classed as a worker rather than independent contractor, entitling her to basic rights. And, also towards the end of last year, a group of food takeaway couriers working for Deliveroo said they were taking legal steps in the UK to gain union recognition and workers' rights. One difference worth noting is that workers in the gig economy differ slightly from those on zero hours contracts. Those are the - also controversial - arrangements used by companies such as Sports Direct, JD Wetherspoons and Cineworld. Like workers in the gig economy, zero-hours contractors - or casual contractors - don't get guaranteed hours or much job security from their employer. But people on zero-hours contracts are seen as employees in some sense, as they are entitled to holiday pay.
But, like those in the gig economy, they are not entitled to sick pay. Meanwhile, the Department for Business is holding an inquiry into a range of working practices - including the gig economy.
The department says it wants to ensure its employment rules are up to date to reflect "new ways of working". The status of gig economy workers is of importance to the government, as last November's Autumn Statement showed for the first time how it is cutting into the government's tax take. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimated that in 2020-21 it will cost the Treasury £3.5bn. Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond said then he would look to find more effective ways to tax workers in the UK's current shifting labour environment.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38930048
De onderstaande antwoorden moet je zelf nakijken; vergelijk jouw antwoorden met de goede
antwoorden, en geef aan in welke mate jouw antwoorden correct zijn.
De onderstaande antwoorden moet je zelf nakijken; vergelijk jouw antwoorden met de goede
antwoorden, en geef aan in welke mate jouw antwoorden correct zijn.
Let's look at ...inversions. Not only do jobs include couriers but also ride-hailing drivers and video producers.
Hardly had the courts finished with one case, than a tribunal found that Maggie Dewhurst, a courier with logistics firm City Sprint, should be classed as a worker rather than independent contractor, entitling her to basic rights.
Study the Grammar Desk to learn more about inversions.
De onderstaande antwoorden moet je zelf nakijken; vergelijk jouw antwoorden met de goede
antwoorden, en geef aan in welke mate jouw antwoorden correct zijn.
With your partner, you are going to create a new sharing economy app.
It’s going to be a shopping delivery app for your town/village.
Answer the questions. Brainstorm some ideas using these questions to help you.
What will your app do? (i.e. which markets will it connect?)
Think of things that people do themselves and think whether you could do it for them.
Think of a catchy name for your app/website.
Write a short description of your idea (180–250 words)
saying why it will benefit your target market.
Evaluation
Fill in this schedule and answer the questions below.
(Copy to Word or write down in your notebook)
Activity
Needs
Improvement
Satisfactory, good
Excellent
Step 1 - Speaking
I can answer questions about jobs and discuss these with a classmate. I can tick names of gig economy list and explain what these organisations do.
Step 2 - Watching
I can watch and understand the video about the Sharing Economy and answer the questions.
Step 3 - Reading
I can make a note of five disadvantages of this way of working. I can read and understand a text and answer questions in my own words.
Step 4 - Words
I can choose the correct definition of some words from the text and complete sentences with these words.
Step 5 - Grammar
I understand and can use the grammar 'inversions'.
Step 6 - Task
I can do the writing task.
What have you learnt in this period?
Answer the following questions:
Het arrangement What is Gig Economy? v456 is gemaakt met
Wikiwijs van
Kennisnet. Wikiwijs is hét onderwijsplatform waar je leermiddelen zoekt,
maakt en deelt.
Dit lesmateriaal is gepubliceerd onder de Creative Commons Naamsvermelding-GelijkDelen 4.0 Internationale licentie. Dit houdt in dat je onder de voorwaarde van naamsvermelding en publicatie onder dezelfde licentie vrij bent om:
het werk te delen - te kopiëren, te verspreiden en door te geven via elk medium of bestandsformaat
het werk te bewerken - te remixen, te veranderen en afgeleide werken te maken
voor alle doeleinden, inclusief commerciële doeleinden.
Van dit lesmateriaal is de volgende aanvullende informatie beschikbaar:
Toelichting
Deze les valt onder de arrangeerbare leerlijn van de Stercollectie voor Engels voor vwo, leerjaar 4, 5 en 6. Dit is thema 'Gig Economy'. Het onderwerp van deze les is: What is Gig Economy? Deze les gaat over dat er tegenwoordig meer vraag is naar parttime banen, kortlopende projecten of opdrachten, in tegenstelling tot de vaste baan zoals vroeger de norm was. De grammaticaopdracht gaat over 'inversions'
Leerniveau
VWO 6;
VWO 4;
VWO 5;
Leerinhoud en doelen
Engels;
Eindgebruiker
leerling/student
Moeilijkheidsgraad
gemiddeld
Studiebelasting
4 uur en 0 minuten
Trefwoorden
arrangeerbaar, engels, inversions, kortlopende projecten, opdrachten, parttime baan, stercollectie, v456, what is gig economy?
Deze les valt onder de arrangeerbare leerlijn van de Stercollectie voor Engels voor vwo, leerjaar 4, 5 en 6. Dit is thema 'Gig Economy'. Het onderwerp van deze les is: What is Gig Economy? Deze les gaat over dat er tegenwoordig meer vraag is naar parttime banen, kortlopende projecten of opdrachten, in tegenstelling tot de vaste baan zoals vroeger de norm was. De grammaticaopdracht gaat over 'inversions'
In this first section we look at what the sharing economy, or gig economy as it’s also called, really means. We’ll take a look at why the emphasis is on sharing, and what it is that people are sharing.
What do you think so far about the Sharing Economy?
In Step 2 you watched a video that presented the Sharing Economy as a vibrant 21st century development.
What is the 'gig' economy?
Let's look at ...inversions.
With your partner, you are going to create a new sharing economy app.
What have you learnt in this period?
