Further Policy Responses for Regulating Platform Work

In our view, there are several areas within the platform ecosystem that require further attention from policymakers. Specifically, we highlight the importance of national registries to collect relevant information on platform companies, the use of automated systems in platform-mediated work and the importance of intersectionality in establishing a social dialogue and future policymaking.

National authorities in most EU Member States such as labour inspectorates, social protection institutions and tax authorities are often not aware of the heterogeneity of online platforms’ business models, how many people are working based on these and with what employment status work is being performed by workers. Establishing national registries responsible for collecting relevant information on platform companies can have a potential in evidence-informed policy-making, by providing necessary information e.g.  the number of platform companies, their turnover as well as the number of people being employed through these platforms.

Considering that platform work is here to stay and will even expand, subordination to a form of algorithmic management requires better understanding, especially regarding the way different algorithmic management techniques or ranking and monitoring impact everyday working conditions and might have long-term negative effects leading to an increased level of stress, poor work-life balance and income. To develop policy options for transparent monitoring and fair decision-making systems, as an initial step it is important to develop a clear understanding of cross-platform variations in algorithmic management control for both types of workers: those who are considered employees and the self-employed.

As the number of platform workers is expected to grow in the near future, future policy options need to focus on migrant and women’s experiences in the platform economy in order to generate a better understanding of how platform work offers certain opportunities and challenges to different groups in society. Future policy responses should include a strategy to bring about a stable income, social insurance coverage and safety measures for all workers, including those who are prone to more vulnerabilities such as migrants and/or women.

Background

The platform economy began to emerge in Europe in the mid-2000s driven by rapidly developing technological innovations such as widespread use of the internet and mobile devices along with online applications. It has been developing dynamically, taking on new forms, creating business models that fall outside previous categories and at the same time impacting the organisation of work and working conditions. Some estimates suggest that 42.7 million people in the EU-27 will opt to work in the platform economy by 2030.