Digiwork: Reflections on the scenario of work mediated by digital platforms in Brazil

Abstract

Purpose: This article analyzes the Brazilian scenario of work mediated by digital platforms (digiwork). Originality/value: Digiwork represents an alternative work arrangement to the traditional long-term employment model, with the highest growth rate in recent years. Details of this scenario are still unclear regarding the quantity and diversity of the offered products and services and the number of individuals involved. This article presents information and reflections that contribute to understanding these data in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach: This is an analytical-exploratory study. Scientific articles were used to discuss technological, political, and socioeconomic influences that supported the emergence of digiwork and its effects on the labor market and the workforce. In order to support this discussion, a documental analysis of websites and mobile application software was carried out, allowing for a qualitative-quantitative mapping of Brazil’s current digital intermediation platforms. Findings: More than 100 companies operating in the country were identified as offering 11 types of services in this business, indicating a growing trend. A diversification movement was also observed, absorbing professionals with different kinds of training and schooling levels. Such growth is in line with the political-economic trend of encouraging the loosening of labor relations, which individualizes and informalizes the bonds, emphasizing the need for debate on the regulation of this work arrangement and more research to investigate its repercussions on the worker’s health, also considering the heterogeneity present in this new class.