Labor trends come and go. Occasionally, they come back again.
Earlier in American history — especially during the Industrial Revolution — piecework was a common labor practice across all fields of work. Workers were paid on a per-piece basis, and this offered a high level of flexibility to employers and incentives to good employees.
But as time went on and industries continued to develop, piecework fell by the wayside and was replaced by the salaried 9-to-5 positions we are all too familiar with.
Today, however, with technology powering the modern sharing economy, we’re experiencing a rampant resurgence of independent contractors: 1099 workers. More and more companies, especially small businesses and startups, are returning to this low-risk, high-reward option.