Varia Ranah - Sorotan Ilmiah Perkhidmatan Awam

503 Varia Ranah: Sorotan Ilmiah Perkhidmatan Awam INTRODUCTION In a gig economy, the presence of temporary and flexible jobs is a norm. To put it in simpler terms, an article by Lee Chonghui (2019), in the STAR tabloid titled `Temporary employment, the new economy’ elucidates the gig economy as ``… a labor market characterized by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work done by individuals. They are very often driven by the digital environment and the prevalence of applications that instantly communicate information and opportunities for work’’ . Hence, under this scenario, since the last number of years there is a general disposition by organizations in hiring independent contractors and freelancers instead of having full-time employees under their stables. According to Chappelow (2019) , the term `gig’ was derived from the music industry that describes it as an independent contract or part-time job. Chappelow further asserts that the concept of creating an income from short-term tasks has been around for a long time, whereby occupations such as musicians, photographers, writers, truck drivers and tradespeople have traditionally been `gig’ workers until over time it evolved into a fulltime occupation. As explained, in a gig economy, people generally find it more conducive and favorable to seek employment in a part-time fashion or indulge themselves into temporary positions. Interestingly, it has been seen that this nature of work has created a foothold, interests, and traction especially among the younger generation (millennials) who are also simultaneously adept to the digital environment. The promise of an ideal work-life balance (or the present buzz word of work-life integration ), unhindered freedom and the In a gig economy, the presence of temporary and flexible jobs is a norm The promise of an ideal work-life balance (or the present buzz word of work-life integration ), unhindered freedom and the chance to pursue other worldly passion are attributes that gravitates the millennials towards the gig economy At the other end of the spectrum, to the user of a gig service, the general outcome is the availability of cheaper and more efficient service delivery both in terms of services and/or product rendered