Future of work lies with flexible employment, not the gig economy

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For centuries until very recently, if a worker was not self-employed and running his own business, he was an employee.

In both the manufacturing and service sectors, employers held all the power. Think of the Ford-inspired assembly-line factory floors or the standardised, consistent service provided by employees at stores like Starbucks. Employers controlled work and production schedules and coordinated where and how employees performed their duties.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 03, 2018, with the headline Future of work lies with flexible employment, not the gig economy. Subscribe