Revisiting The Fig Tree of Sylvia Plath: How You Can Explore Idiosyncratic Deals At Your Workplace To Venture Into Gig-Work?
By Sargam Garg
December 19, 2022
Keywords: gig work, employment relationship, idiosyncratic deals, negotiation
In her novel The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath imagined life as a fig tree with a fig on every branch of the tree promising a different possibility. She bemoans the fact that she wanted to follow every open path, but choosing one meant losing the rest. When she is unable to decide, the figs start to wrinkle and drop.
Welcome to the current times when you can work with your employer to explore different possibilities that call out for you. How can you do it? The answer is through idiosyncratic deals.
Idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) are individualized employment arrangements. Employee and employer negotiate to customize a work arrangement in such a way that it benefits both the parties involved. Organizations use these arrangements to attract, retain, and reward talent. Sometimes, they are also offered as a way to remedy performance problems. The key is – it is about customization – ask for what will help you venture into your dream gig work!
As an employee, for some of us it can be daunting to let go of the security and certainty that Human Resource (HR) practices of an organization provide. For example, in an organization you may know exactly the training you need to undergo in order to progress in your career. As a gig-worker you are responsible for everything. You can be hesitant to venture into gig work. What if you find yourself standing on a rugged terrain by the sea, watching surfers and imagining them joyfully inhaling the salty air, and you find yourself longing for the waves they ride? Now is the time to act! Now is the time to take the first step!
Talk to your manager to explore the possibility of flexibility at work, or to work in a different part of the organization, or to explore opportunities for training that are more aligned with your gig work aspirations. For example, if you work in Finance, but you dream of becoming a freelance writer, could you attend the training offered to employees in the advertising division? Or could the flexibility i-deal help you explore creative writing classes at a community college? Idiosyncratic deals can offer you time and opportunities to hammer out your gig-work plan.
But what is in it for employers? Employers care about attracting, retaining, and rewarding employees with diverse backgrounds and interests. I-deals have been associated with many positive outcomes for employees and employers. As an example, a study revealed the positive impact of i-deals on collective employee commitment within units and on client satisfaction. Explore the elasticity of your employment arrangement to spur forward your gig-work dreams!
So, I urge you, go back to Sylvia Plath’s fig tree. Don’t let the figs drop, pick each and every one of them to taste what life has to offer you, if and only if you dare to ask!
