Atypical, antifragile employment practices will see us through the pandemic
Revision of employment contracts could allow employees to keep their jobs while pursuing other business interests
There are roof leaks that can be revealed only by a stormy, rainy season. These leaks are not created by the rain, but they are revealed when it rains. When the sun is shining, when skies are clear, you think everything is perfect until you are hit by hail, rain and wind, and you realise the roof is leaking. This is also true about many of our employment practices. We thought they were fine until we were hit by the pandemic and we realised how fragile they were.
One employment practice we need to rethink in the wake of the pandemic is permanent employment. I argue that it is archaic. And contrary to popular rhetoric, there are now many employees who do not necessarily want permanent employment. It is time for atypical employment practices to become mainstream, for the benefit of both the employer and a certain type of employee...
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