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As 'virtual work' grows, social programs may need a revamp, report argues
Posted: Jul 15, 2016 5:00 AM ET
Federal think-tank warns Canada's growing digital workforce may face declining incomes
The rapid rise of "virtual workers" — Canadians who do contract work online — threatens to lower wages and undermine social benefits such as employment insurance, minimum wage and maternity leave.
That's the stark message in a new federal study whose conclusions raise questions about whether improvements in traditional workplace programs and protections, created in a previous era, will help a young generation that more frequently takes digital jobs on contract.
"A growing online marketplace for work could make self-employment the dominant form of work in Canada, potentially leaving large numbers of Canadians with uncertain job security," says the report by Policy Horizons Canada.
"The unbundling of work and its migration to virtual space could…increase vulnerability among Canadians, contributing to the growing rise of the 'precariat.'"
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Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/secure-jobs-in-short-supply-in-canada-s-new-tough-labour-market-1.3050449