<story><title>I Delivered Packages for Amazon and It Was a Nightmare</title><url>https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/06/amazon-flex-workers/563444/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>bsg75</author><text>I doubt this is a new observation, but what strikes me is that the US employment system is based on benefits via employment (healthcare, retirement).&lt;p&gt;The current &amp;quot;gig economy&amp;quot; trend removes these benefits from employment, and with a government currently opposed to public benefits, the US could be headed towards a problem within a single generation.&lt;p&gt;This race to the bottom (disruption) seems counter productive for anything but short term investment.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>ghaff</author><text>In the case of health insurance, it mostly came about because of wage controls during WW II. Companies couldn&amp;#x27;t offer more money in a tight labor market but they were allowed to offer fringe benefits like insurance.&lt;p&gt;401(k)&amp;#x27;s history is almost wacky. It was an obscure provision in 1978 tax law and a benefits consultant figured out a way to turn it into something that companies could easily offer to employees as a tax-advantaged benefit.&lt;p&gt;Of course, once a benefit becomes the norm, it&amp;#x27;s almost impossible for individual firms to not offer it.</text></comment>
<story><title>I Delivered Packages for Amazon and It Was a Nightmare</title><url>https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/06/amazon-flex-workers/563444/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>bsg75</author><text>I doubt this is a new observation, but what strikes me is that the US employment system is based on benefits via employment (healthcare, retirement).&lt;p&gt;The current &amp;quot;gig economy&amp;quot; trend removes these benefits from employment, and with a government currently opposed to public benefits, the US could be headed towards a problem within a single generation.&lt;p&gt;This race to the bottom (disruption) seems counter productive for anything but short term investment.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>bproven</author><text>Good point..&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt;This race to the bottom (disruption) seems counter productive for anything but short term investment.&lt;p&gt;And you know who most benefits from this type of investment (basically the ones with the big money to invest with little to no real risk to their way of life).  So I don&amp;#x27;t see it ending any time soon...</text></comment>