The Gig Economy

Rekisteröityä, ilmoittautua

To sign up (to an app)

Kirjautua sisään

To log on (when it suits them)

Leimata itsensä ulos, lopettaa työt

To clock off

Ottaa vastaan, ottaa hoitaakseen

To take on (work)

Hyötyä rahallisesti, rahastaa

To cash in on (a busy Friday night)

Jättäytyä pois, kieltäytyä

To opt out (of a shift)

Pitää yllä (työpaikkaa), selviytyä työstä

To hold down (two or three arrangements)

Tulla toimeen, pärjätä

To get by

Turvautua johonkin (hätävarana)

To fall back on (something)

Lomauttaa, irtisanoa (työn puutteen vuoksi)

To lay off (staff)

Ehtyä, loppua

To dry up (if the work dries up)

Hypätä, siirtyä nopeasti

To hop from one assignment to the next

Keikkatalous

The gig economy

Nollatuntisopimus

A zero-hours contract

Turvaverkko

A safety net

Saada rahat riittämään, tulla toimeen

To make ends meet

Nettopalkka, käteen jäävä palkka

Take-home pay

Minimipalkka

The minimum wage

Itsenäinen ammatinharjoittaja, (ali)urakoitsija

A self-employed contractor

Varalla, päivystämässä

To be on call

Sairausajan palkka

Sick pay

Epävarmuus, turvattomuus

Insecurity (dressed up as freedom)

Joustavuus

Flexibility

Vapautuminen, vapautus

Liberation

Neuvotella, tinkiä; (subst.) sopimus, kauppa

To bargain (with)

1. What is the writer's main purpose in the text? — To weigh the case that gig work is flexible freedom against the case that it is insecurity
2. According to the text, why does the platform owe most gig workers "almost nothing"? — Because the workers are classed as self-employed contractors rather than employees
3. What does the writer suggest by describing a gig worker as "permanently on call for a boss who has promised you nothing in return"? — That the promised flexibility can in practice mean constant availability without security
4. Which point do the companies themselves make against reform? — That treating workers as employees would raise prices and could cost jobs
5. In the final paragraph, the writer concludes that whether gig work is freedom or insecurity — depends largely on the worker's own situation
6. The tone of the passage as a whole can best be described as — balanced and weighing both sides
7. In paragraph four, "make ends meet" is closest in meaning to — earn just enough to cover living costs
8. Read the passage and choose the best alternative for each gap. —
9. The passage below is quoted from the study text (paragraphs four and five). Fill each gap using the grey hint shown in the gap. — waiting, home, below, arrangements, meet, depend, ruled, as, raise, off, from, beneath