Health is Wealth

“Don’t do it!” are Aisyah Ishak’s words when I ask for her thoughts on being part of the gig economy. As she related her story, I understood where she was coming from. There are downsides to the seemingly lucrative rewards of the gig economy.

Similar to Jeremy, the 28-year-old also worked on a freelance basis during her time in university as a driver for a well-known ride-hailing company back when it first arrived in Singapore.

“I just had to provide the necessary documentation and set up an account and that was it. From there, it was up to me to decide how much I wanted to make.”

And there was a lot just waiting to be earned. Because the ride-hailing model was new to Singapore, there were a lot fewer drivers which meant more pick-ups and money. The driver incentives were also a lot better than what she hears is available today.

However, the flexibility of Aisyah’s working hours proved to be a double-edged sword. If she didn’t work, she didn’t earn. Unlike the overlooked privilege of “coasting” that you get with a regular job, (because let’s face it, there are days in the office where we’re just unproductive) there are no days off if you want to make money in the gig economy.

This meant Aisyah spent countless hours cruising the city streets after already long days in school, hustling for a paycheck. Surge pricing was also a fickle mistress. Every cent was hard-earned.

The long hours took a toll on Aisyah’s physical and mental health. She was often exhausted and under the weather.

However, because Aisyah wasn’t an employee, she wasn’t entitled to any health benefits. Doctor’s fees were paid out of pocket, which kickstarted a vicious cycle of worrying about where the money was going to come from if she didn’t drive, pushing herself to work even harder, then falling sick again.

After six months of burning the candle at both ends, she quit. Aisyah shares that she learnt the value of every dollar and the importance of time management. But she still warns against the pitfalls of the gig economy, telling me that there are better ways to learn those lessons.

“There’s very little in the way of career progression in the long-run. Even if I became the best driver, so what? In this kind of work arrangement, there aren’t a lot of opportunities to enhance your skills and even if you do, they aren’t exactly transferable if you decide to move on to other things.”

Which is 100% true. The thing about the gig economy is that you’re paid handsomely to do one thing, and one thing only. There is no incentive to deviate from what you know or to pick up new skills that’ll keep you employable in the long-run.