Legislative initiatives and a generational shift are changing the dynamics of the American workplace. Cowden Associates’ Elliot Dinkin urges employers to be aware of these developments and the inherent risks.
Companies of all types and sizes are using contingent workers at a greater scale than ever before. Beyond the traditional outside contractor, who might perform a discrete set of specific tasks, the contingent workforce, as often as not, now operates within an organization just as if it is part of the employee base. Professional services can be supplied under a statement-of-work agreement; a freelancer with unique skills might be retained through an online labor marketplace, or traditional temporary workers might be hired through a staffing agency.