"What is life like for workers in the gig economy? Is it a paradise of flexibility and freedom? Or is it a world of exploitation? Callum Cant took a job with one of the most prominent platforms, Deliveroo, to find out. This mix of first-hand testimony and analysis is essential for anyone wishing...

Most employment-law rights are mandatory. Individual workers cannot decline the protections the law gives them. For example, a nonexempt worker must get at least $7.25 per hour and time-and-a-half for overtime, even if she would agree to less. A worker's pension must vest within five years. If...