The Weekly Independent: June 6, 2016

Being a successful independent contractor or a client of choice isn’t just about doing the best work or having the best perks. It also means staying one step ahead of the curve. That’s why each week we bring you The Weekly Independent, a quick-hit digest of news of note from around the web.

• CEO Gene Zaino spoke with Bloomberg about the new world of work and the gig economy. The future of work is here, Zaino says, although the article takes a less positive view of the gig economy overall. We can’t predict the future, but we also can’t turn the tables back to the days of pensions and one-company careers. We need real solutions – like Certified Self Employed – proposed by MBO Partners last month.
• Recruiter.com covered our recent infographic on the economic impact of the gig economy.
• Kleiner Perkins and Mary Meeker have released their annual Internet Trends Report. The 213-slide presentation is always an interesting look at how technology is impacting the world in which we work.
• Benefits matter, but not equally to all workers, Bloomberg BNA finds.
• Did you know that most Americans don’t know about the gig economy? Uber is practically a verb in our world, but a new report from Pew shows that only 15% of adults have used a ride-hailing service and only 6% have had their groceries delivered. A full 89% were not familiar with the term “gig economy.”
• An interesting misclassification suit is currently in play in Washington State, involving a video game company being sued after it converted a transgender employee to a 1099 in order to let her undergo gender transition surgery in another state. The implications for this case are interesting from both a legal and ethical HR standpoint.
• Another interesting misclassification case comes to us this week after Lancaster (Pa.) Symphony Orchestra musicians were found to be employees, not independent contractors, SHRM reported. Specifically, these workers were found to be employees as the LSO retained control over musical selections and style of performance, which musicians were selected for each performance, and the rehearsal schedule, including the number of rehearsals and how they were conducted.
• Explore the hidden dimensions of the human capital economy in part two of this MBO Partners blog series from VP of Solutions Design John Dahlberg.  Missed part one? It’s right here.
• One of the biggest perks (or flaws) in working for yourself is working from a home office. Use this guide to help make your home office the best it can be. If you think you could use a home office update, enter our referral contest between now and July 12^th. If you refer someone to MBO Partners, you’ll be automatically entered to win a home office makeover valued at nearly $5,000.
• In the future, we’ll all have multiple jobs, many of which are independent, Fast Company reports.

Should you have any questions, we’re always here for you.

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