Sexual harassment takes a hidden toll on gig workers
futurity.org
futurity.org
> “A harmful customer interaction can drain a worker’s psychological resources in different ways, and those reactions can carry over into how they perform their job and interact with people afterward,”
The same goes when an algorithm makes workers feel that they cannot answer back to customers. Customers have rights, but workers have them too. A worker is not a person that does everything that the employer asks for but a person with a job that is always limited in responsibility.
Apps have worked around this classifying workers as "contractors" and removing many of their protections. Thankfully many countries have fixed this abuse. It needs to continue to improve.
These jobs are in the process of being automated, in this order. Any effective effort to curb harassment of these workers is likely to add friction or expense that accelerates automation. Given that it's difficult to know what is the best policy for these people. Is it progress to have fewer such jobs with better working conditions?
Humans need to accept that other humans aren't just parts you can swap. It's not hard to treat others decently, it's just that now everyone expects technology and other systems to arbitrate human interaction to the point where decorum is basically non-existent. More automation isn't the answer, less is (if we're going to survive as a species).
In a world with a trend of less automation, indeed optimal policy will be far different. But given that we are not in that world and appear to be moving rapidly in the other direction, we shouldn't write policy as if it were so.
> I do gig work deliveries in the mountains of Tennessee and driving down 5% grade switchbacks and across streams isn't something I see automation handling any time soon.
I agree. Human elevator operators are still necessary in some places. But we should base broad scale policy around the near term future for most people, most of the time.
My preference would be to expand reputation systems such that a harassed driver can post her low review of the passenger, along with audio & video clips, such that the next driver can make an informed choice.
I tell my wife constantly that we need to bring the mob back for this very reason. There are a lot of people who've never been punched in the face and it shows.
If you try hard enough, these jobs "are in the process of being automated" since the invention of the train and washing machine.
Atlanta, GA, Austin, TX, Beijing, Chongqing, Dallas, TX, Denver, CO, Dubai, Fort Worth, TX, Guangzhou, Houston, TX, Las Vegas, NV, Los Angeles, CA, Miami, FL, Nashville, TN, Orlando, FL, Phoenix, AZ, San Antonio, TX, San Diego, CA, San Francisco Bay Area, CA, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tampa, FL, Wuhan, Abu DhabiBut please, tell me what you know anyway. Even if it confirms my beliefs.
For some people all jobs are already automateable and workers should just shut up and do what they are told and accept peanuts as payment. It is not realistic, but it is a fear mongering strategy to get away with all kinds of abuses. (Like the ones mentioned in the article).
> Any effective effort to curb harassment of these workers is likely to add friction or expense that accelerates automation.
So when a hotel housekeeper is cleaning a room and a guest sexually assaults her we just ignore it because she'll be replaced by a robot soon.
> what is the best policy for these people.
"These people" deserve to work in a safe environment and be treated with respect, just like every one of us would expect. We can't just ignore it and hope it goes away.