Employment Working Group

The role of digital labour platforms in transforming the world of work

The digital labour platform business model is transforming the world of work in a number of ways: algorithmic management practices; changing the organization of work and work processes and shifting the responsibility of investing in capital assets and operating costs to the workers; and creating a dual labour market with a core workforce of internal employees and a large external mediated workforce. The algorithmic management practices adopted by platforms such as ratings and reputations, has implications on the workers' well-being with respect to earnings and access to work, and can lead to long hours of work impacting work-family life balance. Many workers expressed stress due to their work and risk work-related injury and lack social protection or work-injury related benefits, puts them in a vulnerable situation. There is a need to protect workers irrespective of their employment status which requires coherent and coordinated international effort.

Presentation | 01 June 2021