ABSTRACT
The nature and prevalence of precarious work have been increasingly evident over the past decade; the recent pandemic brought even more light to bear on this troubling topic. Precarity in the form of unpredictable schedules, low pay (which is also intermittent due to those unpredictable schedules), constant monitoring and correction (often automated), lack of reliable child care – these are just of few of the difficulties faced by precarious workers. This chapter reviews these and other special challenges faced by these laborers – challenges that were augmented during the recent pandemic for those we now recognize as “essential.” Interestingly, precarity is not limited to manual or lower-skilled workers. Ph.D.s are increasingly hired on temporary contracts by colleges and universities, and these highly educated workers find themselves in a plight virtually identical to those who drive for Uber or deliver via DoorDash. The nature of worker consent to these precarious jobs is a particularly fraught question.
