An Employee Ownership Version of the Gig Economy

Uber and Lyft are the best known companies in the so-called "gig economy," in which work is done by independent contractors on a job-by-job basis and mediated by mobile technology. Commentators, including the NCEO, have long suggested that the same technology could be adapted to stable employment and employee ownership, and a new company, Juno, is now striving to test that argument.

Juno's "citizen drivers" will earn more shares the more they drive, and the company is setting aside half of its initial shares for drivers. Juno's founder, Talmon Marco, says "We say happy drivers make for happy riders. The fact that drivers love Juno and that they are owners in the business will significantly affect the kind of service customers get." Juno's drivers will also be employees and entitled to employment benefits and protections.