A recent Adecco India outlook published on 1 December 2025 shows just how central flexible labour has become to India’s growth story. Festive-season hiring this year rose around 17% over 2024, with gig and temporary roles jumping by an estimated 25%. In just three months, temporary hiring reportedly grew 37%, and deployment of gig workers climbed 15–20%, driven by retail, logistics, customer support, BFSI and travel. Women’s participation in gig and temp roles was said to have risen 30–35%, while entry-level pay packets improved by roughly 12–15% and experienced temp workers saw 18–22% jumps. The report frames 2025 as the strongest festive labour market since the immediate post-COVID rebound, and suggests demand will remain high through the wedding season and into early 2026.
Outlook Business
For workers and HR alike, these numbers are both hopeful and unsettling. On one hand, seasonal booms give first-time earners a way into the labour market and allow many women to test paid work without long-term commitment. On the other, stories from shop floors and delivery hubs show that gig and temp workers often shoulder unpredictable schedules, unpaid waiting time and sudden deactivations. The emotional experience is often one of “structured uncertainty”: contracts, rosters and apps create a sense of order, but income and tenure remain fragile. HR managers in client companies may enjoy the flexibility of scaling staff up and down without headcount liabilities, yet still rely on these very workers to keep customer experience and brand promises intact. For many temp workers, it feels like being at the centre of the action but at the margins of security.
Strategically, this surge puts pressure on HR, procurement and compliance teams to redefine what “responsible staffing” looks like. Relying heavily on third-party agencies or platforms doesn’t absolve organisations of duties around fair wages, safety, working hours and dignity. Under the new labour codes and social-security framework, clients will increasingly be treated as principal employers with real accountability. This means auditing vendors’ PF/ESI and wage practices, putting floor standards for shifts and breaks into contracts, and monitoring gender-specific risks. It also raises a leadership question: if a brand’s customer promise is delivered by a workforce that is mostly temped out, what long-term culture, loyalty or learning can you realistically build?
How should HR in client organisations rethink vendor contracts to ensure temp and gig workers receive minimum standards of fairness and safety?
Is it time for companies to report not just headcount, but also their “extended workforce” and how it is treated?
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7Outlook Business
For workers and HR alike, these numbers are both hopeful and unsettling. On one hand, seasonal booms give first-time earners a way into the labour market and allow many women to test paid work without long-term commitment. On the other, stories from shop floors and delivery hubs show that gig and temp workers often shoulder unpredictable schedules, unpaid waiting time and sudden deactivations. The emotional experience is often one of “structured uncertainty”: contracts, rosters and apps create a sense of order, but income and tenure remain fragile. HR managers in client companies may enjoy the flexibility of scaling staff up and down without headcount liabilities, yet still rely on these very workers to keep customer experience and brand promises intact. For many temp workers, it feels like being at the centre of the action but at the margins of security.
Strategically, this surge puts pressure on HR, procurement and compliance teams to redefine what “responsible staffing” looks like. Relying heavily on third-party agencies or platforms doesn’t absolve organisations of duties around fair wages, safety, working hours and dignity. Under the new labour codes and social-security framework, clients will increasingly be treated as principal employers with real accountability. This means auditing vendors’ PF/ESI and wage practices, putting floor standards for shifts and breaks into contracts, and monitoring gender-specific risks. It also raises a leadership question: if a brand’s customer promise is delivered by a workforce that is mostly temped out, what long-term culture, loyalty or learning can you realistically build?
How should HR in client organisations rethink vendor contracts to ensure temp and gig workers receive minimum standards of fairness and safety?
Is it time for companies to report not just headcount, but also their “extended workforce” and how it is treated?
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
The rise in gig and temporary roles in India's labour market has brought to the fore the need for HR in client organisations to rethink vendor contracts. This is to ensure that these workers receive minimum standards of fairness and safety.
Firstly, the core issue is the precarious nature of gig and temp work. While it offers flexibility, it often comes with unpredictable schedules, unpaid waiting time, and sudden deactivations. This can lead to a sense of "structured uncertainty" for the workers. The challenge for HR is to balance the need for flexibility with the need to provide fair and safe working conditions.
Legally, under the new labour codes and social-security framework in India, clients are increasingly being treated as principal employers with real accountability. This means they have duties around fair wages, safety, working hours, and dignity, even if they are using third-party agencies or platforms for staffing.
To address this, HR in client organisations can take the following steps:
1. Audit vendors' PF/ESI and wage practices to ensure compliance with labour laws.
2. Include minimum standards for shifts and breaks in contracts.
3. Monitor gender-specific risks to ensure equal opportunities and safety for all workers.
4. Develop a system for reporting not just headcount, but also the "extended workforce" and how it is treated.
5. Work with vendors to develop a grievance redressal mechanism for temp and gig workers.
Finally, it's important for HR to remember that while temp and gig workers provide flexibility, they are also crucial to delivering the brand's customer promise. Therefore, treating them fairly and ensuring their safety is not just a legal requirement, but also a business imperative. It's also worth considering how to build a long-term culture, loyalty, and learning opportunities for these workers, as they are increasingly becoming a central part of the workforce.
From India, Gurugram
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Firstly, the core issue is the precarious nature of gig and temp work. While it offers flexibility, it often comes with unpredictable schedules, unpaid waiting time, and sudden deactivations. This can lead to a sense of "structured uncertainty" for the workers. The challenge for HR is to balance the need for flexibility with the need to provide fair and safe working conditions.
Legally, under the new labour codes and social-security framework in India, clients are increasingly being treated as principal employers with real accountability. This means they have duties around fair wages, safety, working hours, and dignity, even if they are using third-party agencies or platforms for staffing.
To address this, HR in client organisations can take the following steps:
1. Audit vendors' PF/ESI and wage practices to ensure compliance with labour laws.
2. Include minimum standards for shifts and breaks in contracts.
3. Monitor gender-specific risks to ensure equal opportunities and safety for all workers.
4. Develop a system for reporting not just headcount, but also the "extended workforce" and how it is treated.
5. Work with vendors to develop a grievance redressal mechanism for temp and gig workers.
Finally, it's important for HR to remember that while temp and gig workers provide flexibility, they are also crucial to delivering the brand's customer promise. Therefore, treating them fairly and ensuring their safety is not just a legal requirement, but also a business imperative. It's also worth considering how to build a long-term culture, loyalty, and learning opportunities for these workers, as they are increasingly becoming a central part of the workforce.
From India, Gurugram
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