independent contractors
Hair Salons and Nail Studios Have Reopened—So Why Can't Tattoo Shops?
Tattoo artists are trained on cross-contamination, sterilization, and disease prevention—but shops across the country remain closed while other businesses reopen.
Tattoo Artists Are in Crisis as COVID-19 Devastates Their Industry
Several artists told VICE that without health insurance, significant savings, or any guarantee of collecting unemployment, they're in a desperate financial position.
Exotic Dancers Do Their Taxes a Little Differently Than You
When you get paid in dollar bills and earn tax breaks for sexy lingerie, keeping track of earnings and expenses can get complicated.
Gaming the System: Esports Players Face Many Challenges in Unionizing
It’s not just big bad corporations blocking progress, but way esports frames individual relationships at the pro level.
Ryback Spoke Out About How Things Really Work in WWE, and It Hurt
Wrestling is a secretive, silence-driven business. That silence conceals a lot of sketchiness, and when wrestler Ryback wrote about it on Tumblr earlier this week, he exposed it.
Workers Rising: Homejoy's Collapse Is the Latest Crack In the Sharing Economy
Independent contractors want to be employees, and investors noticed.
Portland’s Vegan Strip Club Is Being Sued for Allegedly Mistreating Its Dancers
Dancers I spoke with complained of unreasonably long hours and a pattern of dehumanizing behavior by management that ranged from throwing away a dancer's non-vegan food to groping and spanking.
An Escort Taught Me How to Sell Myself to Strangers Online
Thanks to a chance encounter with a professional lady of the night named "Amber," I was able to get a lot of helpful advice about how to turn myself into an attractive gigolo.