Introduction
Slash WorkersLiving between the boundaries: needs & ambition
One worker, different jobs
Ever wondered what’s in common between a journalist and a pilates teacher? Or a dance teacher and customer assistance & helpdesk?
These categories seem to be far from one another. Indeed, they are, but they find themselves united together in a single worker.
These categories seem to be far from one another. Indeed, they are, but they find themselves united together in a single worker.
Modern equilibrists
Living work-life a straight road? Not the slash worker’s case!
Slash workers are daily balancing between needs and ambition. Who they are?
Slash workers are daily balancing between needs and ambition. Who they are?
Slash Workers perform more than one job.
They are “people who are engaged in multiple paid activities that require different skills and are likely to be developed in various sectors”.
A new socio-economic framework
Slash workers are a growing labor category in Europe: in 2019 they counted for more than 4.2% of total employment*.
Although holding more than one job simultaneously is not a new phenomenon, the context has changed: the expansion of slash workers appears to be linked to the decline in the standard employment relationship. Moreover, this expansion seems to be driven by two recent developments:
• the rise of the gig economy.
• the spread of new values and
expectations attached to work.
*underestimated data.
Although holding more than one job simultaneously is not a new phenomenon, the context has changed: the expansion of slash workers appears to be linked to the decline in the standard employment relationship. Moreover, this expansion seems to be driven by two recent developments:
• the rise of the gig economy.
• the spread of new values and
expectations attached to work.
*underestimated data.
Slash workers at X-ray
Findings of the SWIRL project identified the following characteristics:
- Highly skilled alternative or contingent workers.
- Independent Professionals (IPs) and highly skilled temporary employees.
- Workers with high educational levels.
- Part-time workers.
- Young when IPs, less so if temporary employees.
- Women.
- Widowed or separated.
Labor identities
SWIRL studied different labour identities and practices adopted by slash workers across Europe
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Survival Strategy
"For the earnings: we have a lot of expenses and two children, the salary of my husband was not enough anymore”.
Anna, 45 years old, high school degree.
Anna, 45 years old, high school degree.
Survival strategy
For most of the interviewees who argue financial reasons for engaging in an extra-job, becoming a slash worker has not been a choice: it is more of a survival strategy. It is a decision driven by necessity, a strategy to tackle financial constraints.
They are unexpected and involuntary slash workers, pushed by a necessity to compensate for the unpredictable or non-sufficient income provided by the main job.
They are unexpected and involuntary slash workers, pushed by a necessity to compensate for the unpredictable or non-sufficient income provided by the main job.
Safety net
“In today's world, one must always have a plan B because the job is always uncertain: mine is indeed open-ended, nothing can happen to you, but with the world we live now, it is very uncertain, one must always have a plan B and a plan C to be able to play in case something goes wrong. In my opinion, it is too risky to know how to do just one thing; you need to know how to do more than one”.
Charlotte, 28 years old, bachelor's degree.
Charlotte, 28 years old, bachelor's degree.
Safety net
Among those who justify their status as slash workers on financial grounds, a group deems having more than one job as a sort of safety net. We can distinguish two reasonings:
- For some interviewees, their secondary job is a kind of insurance of possible adverse circumstances in the main activity.
- In the other case, workers seek to rely on primary employment's financial security and stability while setting up a new entrepreneurial activity.
"Double life"
Vasko, from Bulgaria, combines a freelance job as a mountain guide, previously his hobby, with a highly skilled and well-paid job in the financial sector.
"Double life"
Most of the so-called "passionate" slash workers try to find the balance between self-fulfillment at work and economic sustainability by adopting a “double life”.
Workers seek to combine a primary job that pays the bills and guarantees adequate living conditions with an additional meaningful activity that cannot provide them with sufficient income even though it is their priority.
Workers seek to combine a primary job that pays the bills and guarantees adequate living conditions with an additional meaningful activity that cannot provide them with sufficient income even though it is their priority.
Multi-interest
“I'm a very curious person, I like to learn many things, um... I'm not afraid to try new things, and that's in my personality, and I think you can see that in all the things I do”.
Estefania, 43 years old, master's degree.
Estefania, 43 years old, master's degree.
Multi-interest
The last profile is represented by those workers who prioritize diversity in their job tasks. They don't just look for meaning and purpose in their work experience; they seek, besides, and above all, variety.
SWIRL’s research findings suggest a notable presence of “passionate” slash workers who perform at least one of their jobs in the arts, entertainment or culture industries.
SWIRL’s research findings suggest a notable presence of “passionate” slash workers who perform at least one of their jobs in the arts, entertainment or culture industries.
Context
Channels for a successful slash worker: the role of digital platforms
There seems to be a bidirectional relationship between online platforms and slash work: platform work contributes to fostering the spread of slash work, while the extension of slash work helps to create the social conditions for the sustainability of the platform work.
But how do slash workers combine multiple jobs offline and online? See a few examples by scrolling down and mouse over the bubbles...
But how do slash workers combine multiple jobs offline and online? See a few examples by scrolling down and mouse over the bubbles...
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Offline:
Artist/Sound engineer
Online:
Journalist/Youtuber/Translator
Online & Offline:
Assistant director/data entry
Work-life balance…a matter of flexibility
Slash workers often face heavy workloads and very long working days and weeks. Slash work is done at the expense of free time and other possible responsibilities. It is difficult for many interviewees to maintain a healthy balance between work and other spheres of life, particularly caregiving obligations. This is especially true for women, given persisting gender inequalities in care and unpaid work distribution.
Flexibility, together with skills and task diversity and autonomy, can be considered almost one precondition for slash work.
Flexibility, together with skills and task diversity and autonomy, can be considered almost one precondition for slash work.
Collective unions and digital rights
Platform work brings along a set of consequences, such as negative externalities and concentration of power, legal insecurity and a degradation of working conditions.
Despite these consequences, the involvement of slash workers in collective representation or labor or professional mobilizations is limited in all studied countries.
Although being a slash worker reduces the perception of insecurity concerning protection against social risks (conditioned by the socio-occupational situation), slash workers feel the need for a form of representation that defends their interests and that fits their specific needs.
Despite these consequences, the involvement of slash workers in collective representation or labor or professional mobilizations is limited in all studied countries.
Although being a slash worker reduces the perception of insecurity concerning protection against social risks (conditioned by the socio-occupational situation), slash workers feel the need for a form of representation that defends their interests and that fits their specific needs.
Slash workers casting a light beyond the COVID-19 pandemic
Conclusions
Do you recognize yourself, a family member or a friend in this picture?Visit our website and discover more about SWIRL’s research on slash workers.
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Slash Workers
One worker, different jobs
Modern equilibrists
Slash Workers perform more than one job.
A new socio-economic framework
Slash workers at X-ray
SWIRL studied different labour identities and practices adopted by slash workers across Europe
Survival Strategy
Survival strategy
Safety net
"Double life"
"Double life"
Multi-interest
Multi-interest
Channels for a successful slash worker: the role of digital platforms
Channels for a successful slash worker: the role of digital platforms
Work-life balance…a matter of flexibility
Collective unions and digital rights
Slash workers casting a light beyond the COVID-19 pandemic
Do you recognize yourself, a family member or a friend in this picture?