(NewsNation) — Could gig work be on its way to shake up U.S. retail after ruffling feathers in Europe?
Several apps used by workers in the European gig economy have been picked up by popular retailers looking to fill staffing holes.
Stores such as Urban Outfitters, Lush and Uniqlo are recruiting gig workers in the U.K. to bulk up their stores’ staffing, especially during the holiday rush, reported The Guardian.
Gig work refers to temporary jobs that can be picked up anytime.
The apps are being promoted by young influencers who say it’s a great side hustle, the outlet reported.
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The apps work by allowing retailers to post specific shifts at a certain rate of pay, which workers registered on the app can apply for, The Financial Times reported.
Young Ones, an app founded in the Netherlands, has expanded to the U.K. and France, allowing self-employed freelancers to pick up shifts at brick and mortar retail stores.
“You broaden your horizons,” a gig worker on Young Ones told the outlet. “It just opens a lot of opportunities.”
The app is not yet available in the U.S. but several others, including GigSmart, Instawork and ShiftNow, are already here.
Work available on these apps vary from convenience stores to delivery services.
The popularity of the trend in European retail may make the trend more enticing in the U.S., but some workers rights groups say it’s better to pump the brakes.
“This is a worrying new development,” Tim Sharp, senior policy officer for employment rights at the Trades Union Congress, told The Guardian.
“It would seem absurd to most people that someone can do a job like working in a shop and not be entitled to basic legal protections. There is a big question mark over the employment status of these supposed freelancers.”
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One gig worker in South Carolina wrote about their experience taking a job at a convenience store, saying the work can be more than people bargain for, reported Business Insider.
“If you’re going to get into gig work, by all means, do your hustle and try to survive, but don’t get stuck in it,” the gig worker said. “Understand that these types of gig jobs are not for all people. If somebody gets hurt on the job, they’re not covered by workers compensation. I’m not sure I’d do it again.”
Sharp said gig work appeared to be more in the interests of retailers than workers.
“It’s about firms being able to flex staff up and down – this is clearly passing on risk from the business owner to the individual staff member and we think that’s unacceptable,” Sharp said.
