What is the mental and emotional impact of participating in the gig economy?
Tutoring is undoubtedly part of the gig economy. Any individual that works in the gig economy or earns precarious income inarguably has more concern over their next paycheque than someone with a more steady, permanent income. Yet, it never occurred to me that there would be a heavy psychological component to gig employment as well.
I had mentioned a number of times that I began tutoring to better my understanding of teaching methods, what works and what doesn't, and to develop original teaching materials for myself. While the income is important to me, it is not my highest priority. I am still a graduate student and am not currently in a position to take on stable, permanent income. In fact, gig employment is all I have the capacity for at the moment.
Recently, one of the tutoring companies I work for closed its Canadian office very suddenly. No staff member nor tutor had any warning before the company shut down; there was no time to prepare. That created a state of panic among all the tutors; we all struggled to determine what to do next. What happens to the students we are currently tutoring? What happens to our income owed? What happens to trial sessions we had conducted? What do we do now?
The single correspondence we received from the parent company released us from our contracts and gave us the freedom to switch to private tutoring with their clients who wish to be released from their contracts. Many of my colleagues chose to do just that. I had not been personally set up to offer private tutoring and took a week to implement the different elements of a new practice. This way, I would be able to offer my students from that company the option if they so choose. It also opened the door for future private students.
A Kneejerk Reaction
It should be specified that I have not lost any students. In fact, I have more students now than I did before the closure. I am also earning more income as a private tutor. I also still work for other tutoring companies, arguably working more hours than previously. However, it was the loss of potential income, the source of students that I could have gained, that had the biggest impact on me. My biggest reaction, aside from setting up my own practice, was to apply to work for numerous other companies. I will continue to apply for positions until I find a company that would be able to provide me with a stable source of potential students the way this company had done.
I was amazed at the psychological impact that being part of the gig economy had on me. My priority is still being a graduate student. I was not working fewer hours, nor was I earning less income. And yet, I was acting as if I were unemployed and in a panic over where my next paycheque would come from. My reaction made me realize how big an impact being under gig employment has on the individual's emotional and mental well-being. Just being part of the system, without being impacted by the structures and consequences to any severe extent, triggered a highly stressful reaction that was completely unexpected on my part.
I never studied psychology, but even I could see that the mere state of receiving precarious income has an intellectual impact on the individual. Gone was my rational mind, which knew that I was financially in a better position. What I had lost was the security of being part of an organization, the stability of knowing there would always eventually be potential students available. Even though I'm fine today, I had lost my confidence that I would be fine tomorrow. That immediately sent me on a search for another safety net when I really didn't need one.
So, what does this all mean?
Most people, without having experienced it, cannot fully appreciate the impact that precarious income has on an individual. The sense of insecurity and loss that is immediately triggered upon threat to that income, despite the knowledge that no actual income has been lost, is very real and affects the mental and emotional state to an extraordinary measure. This was undoubtedly exacerbated by the pandemic, when those participating in the gig economy were so strongly and negatively impacted. I highly doubt that this particular effect of COVID-19 will ever fully recover.
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