Originally Posted by
Super Mario
Just because a lot of people may not like the concept, I don't know that I would label it as unsustainable .An awful lot of people prefer the model of working when you want. Somehow, it still isn't an overly profitable business yet for a lot of these companies. I doubt adding in benefits and whatnot would be sustainable.
I'm a firm believer that a *component* of the labor shortage is these gig services. Why work food, retail, hospitality, etc. dealing with all of the undesirable duties that come along with them, when you can drive around whenever you want?
As a business owner, I see the difference in investment between a 1099 contractor and your own employees. A 1099 is a 'temp' or another company that is a peer that you build your business on. But when you're running through 1099 vendors like it's no tomorrow, eventually the 1099s won't be there anymore. The only reason 1099s exist right now is because they're typically cutting some sort of corner that normally would be required in business--license, insurance, etc. And this is one of the contributing factor as to why they are currently sustainable; but if the only way you can make proper profits is to cut on business essentials, then you're not really sustainable.
But as lawlessness continues to creep into every facet of US life, I can see these problems worsening and the exploitation increasing. And that means at some point some lyft driver will hit your boyfriend head on when trying to cross an intersection--and leave you with all the medical bills and a 2yr legal battle. That was what happened to my friend a few years back, and she was just a passenger in her boyfriend's car. He took the heavy losses since the car was fairly new. The passengers in the lyft car just got out and fled the scene.