The Stigma Of Hourly Employment Needs To End
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, hourly workers make up three-fifths of all wage and salaried workers. In addition, 40 percent of employers plan to hire temporary and contract workers this year, compared to 36 percent last year.
While these findings are all well and good, the fact is, there is still a stigma associated with this sort of work. Workers may be seen as “lost”, floating, or worse, not ready to commit to anything serious. However, we live in a different job market now. It can be difficult to find a full-time or permanent position in your industry, especially if you don’t have a ton of experience. But guess what? Hourly, temporary, contracted, and project-based work can be just as good as the alternative.
So, do away with preconceived notions that hourly work isn’t as good as permanent! Here are some reasons why:
Hourly work is just as valuable
In permanent positions you learn, work, and absorb information. You network with thought leaders, you perform tasks that can challenge you, and you grow as a professional. With hourly work, you do exactly the same thing. The difference? Your schedule. That’s it. The work you do is just as valuable, just as fulfilling, and just as beneficial to your career. It may not be the traditional route you may be used to, and that’s okay. Just remember, you can gain as much from an hourly position as something permanent.
Professionals can “try before they buy”
When you’re in a full-time or permanent position, you may have to sign a year-long contract or be committed to an employer for a set amount of time. With hourly positions, you may not have to take on that sort of obligation. In fact, you can “try before you buy.”
For instance, let’s say you were interested in marketing. Well, there are many forms of marketing, like analytics, content creation, public relations, and branding. Instead of wrestling over which path to take, working in temporary positions allows you to explore your different interests. That way, should your temp job lead into something permanent, you’ll be much happier and more productive in the job because you took the time to explore what you enjoy.
Allows you to spread out your interests
There’s a benefit to hourly work that may not be so obvious: You can spread out your interests. Are you an artist with a pension for baking? Great! Perhaps you’re into design but love to teach on the side? Awesome! Temporary jobs can translate these interests into an actual gig because there’s probably a market for them — you just have the benefit of having more than one focus. Plus, you get to explore multiple interests, which is always great for your career.
Separate your hobbies from your job
Some people say you shouldn’t make your hobby into a job because it takes the fun out of it. Well, with an hourly or temporary job, you’ll still be able to find a job that pays the bills, without giving up your sole passion. For instance, the artist with the pension for baking can still paint to their hearts content, but have a steady income through the bakery. The dual benefit of this is the ability to still have the time to do what you love, but not in a way that results in an empty wallet. Temporary employment makes this into a reality.
Stigmas are stigmas for a reason: We likely don’t know the full story or we don’t understand the concept, so we link our knowledge to something that may not be true. Hourly work may not be the norm, but it is becoming something with which more professionals are aligning themselves. And in the end, it doesn’t matter if your job is hourly or permanent. It just matters that work is helping you grow as a professional.
What do you think? What are some other reasons the stigma of hourly work needs to end?
Lynn Dixon is the co-founder and COO of Hourly, an employment network that quickly matches people who are interested in flexible positions with the right opportunities. Connect with Lynn and Hourly on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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