Splintered structures and workers without a workplace: How should safety science address the fragmentation of organizations?

Nilsen, Marie; Kongsvik, Trond; Almklov, Petter Grytten

doi:10.1016/j.ssci.2021.105644

Cited by 17 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…The lack of transparency around the inner workings of platform technology and the disintegration of traditional boundaries delineating organizational responsibilities pose challenges to the regulation of PMW [48]. In the following section, we will be discussing how powerful platforms and gaps in the regulation of PMW generate a mismatch between the regulator and the regulated entities.…”

Section: Digital Labor Platformsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, arbitrary deactivations and changes to worker piece rate with limited or no option for recourse incapacitate workers and increase emotional demands [22,66,67]. Furthermore, performance indicators serving as the yardstick for potential deactivation may not accurately reflect work efforts and may even include factors workers have no control over [48].…”

Section: Agenda Power/two-dimensional View Of Powermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The lack of hindsight data on an outcome variable (accidents) also influences the attention to intermediate variables and root causes. The potential organizational fragmentation and negative consequences for workers outside organizational boundaries and responsibilities [48] remain unresolved. Moreover, the impact of fragmentation on working conditions and safety is potentially heightened by technology and easy labor market entry in PMW.…”

Section: Old Problems In a New Guisementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Platform-mediated work reflects the continuing fragmentation of the organization [48] and the dissolution of legally enforced responsibility for the control of risks their operations impose. The age-old problem of misclassification and cost-reducing strategies based on the shedding of organizational responsibilities is further complicated by the platforms' proclivity to regulatory escape.…”

Section: Regulatory Escapementioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Taming Proteus: Challenges for Risk Regulation of Powerful Digital Labor Platforms

Nilsen

Kongsvik

Antonsen

2022

IJERPH

Self Cite

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The platform economy’s emergence challenges the current labor regulations hinged upon the binary employer–employee relations established during the industrial age. While this burgeoning phenomenon presents several possibilities for workers, customers, and businesses alike, scholars from various fields have sounded alarms regarding pitfalls in platform-mediated work (PMW). The regulation of working conditions, health, and safety risks are integral to these worries. Drawing upon existing research and empirical data from 49 qualitative interviews with several stakeholders, this paper explores the various dimensions of power exerted by platforms and the mismatch with the current risk regulatory framework. Four regulatory gaps are identified and the concept ‘regulatory escape’ is introduced. The study posits that taming powerful platforms requires harnessing adequate regulatory capacity grounded on developing an expansive view of regulation that encompasses all forms of socio-economic influence. The paper invokes reflection on the existing regulatory systems in society and calls for a more profound and inclusive debate on platform-mediated work and how regulatory gaps can be closed.

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Section: Digital Labor Platformsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Agenda Power/two-dimensional View Of Powermentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Old Problems In a New Guisementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Regulatory Escapementioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Taming Proteus: Challenges for Risk Regulation of Powerful Digital Labor Platforms

Nilsen

Kongsvik

Antonsen

2022

IJERPH

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Similarly, others have noted that, while platforms promise flexibility and autonomy, the work actually involves unpredictability, work intensification, and financial hardship. 18 , 19 Nielsen et al 20 found that safety systems for platform workers were weak or absent.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived COVID‐19 health and job risks faced by digital platform drivers and measures in place to protect them: A qualitative study

MacEachen

Meyer

Majowicz

et al. 2022

American J Industrial Med

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Introduction: As they deliver food, packages, and people across cities, digital platform drivers (gig workers) are in a key position to become infected with COVID-19 and transmit it to many others. The aim of this study is to identify perceived COVID-19 exposure and job risks faced by workers and document the measures in place to protect their health, and how workers responded to these measures. Methods: In 2020-2021, in-depth interviews were conducted in Ontario, Canada, with 33 digital platform drivers and managers across nine platforms that delivered food, packages, or people. Interviews focused on perceived COVID-19 risks and mitigation strategies. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and uploaded to NVivo software for coding by varied dual pairs of researchers. A Stakeholder Advisory Committee played an instrumental role in the study. Results: As self-employed workers were without the protection of employment and occupational health standards, platform workers absorbed most of the occupational risks related to COVID-19. Despite safety measures (e.g., contactless delivery) and financial support for COVID-19 illnesses introduced by platform companies, perceived COVID-19 risks remained high because of platform-related work pressures, including rating systems. We identify five key COVID-19 related risks faced by the digital platform drivers. Conclusion: We situate platform drivers within the broad context of precarious employment and recommend organizational-and government-level interventions to prevent digital platform worker COVID-19 risks and to assist workers ill with COVID-19. Measures to protect the health of platform workers would benefit public health aims by reducing transmission by drivers to families, customers, and consequently, the greater population.

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Examining gender differences in gig worker safety

Cox

Read

Butler

et al. 2023

Hum Ftrs & Erg Mfg Svc

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A critical but often overlooked road safety concern is gender differences in road safety issues. The limited investigations have reported gender differences in road safety issues such as traffic accident rates and crash injuries. An emerging road safety issue is the safety of gig workers. Despite the exponential growth of the gig economy, little is known about road safety issues faced by gig workers, including gender‐specific road safety issues. The present study aimed to investigate whether there are gender differences in gig workers' involvement in road safety incidents and the likelihood of reporting incidents when gig working. Gig workers who provide, or have provided, ride‐hailing, courier, and food delivery services via digital platforms in Australia were invited to participate in an online survey on their involvement in road safety incidents and the likelihood that they would report road and personal safety incidents when gig working. Data from 71 gig workers (35 female gig workers; 36 male gig workers) were reported in the study. No gender differences were found in their involvement in road safety incidents and the likelihood of reporting road and personal safety incidents when gig working. Despite the lack of gender differences observed, findings from the study contributed to the research field and to closing the gender data gap. A research agenda is proposed for further data collection in gig work using a systems thinking approach to better our understanding of factors influencing the gendered participation in the gig workforce, and the health, safety, and wellbeing of gig workers.

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Splintered structures and workers without a workplace: How should safety science address the fragmentation of organizations?

Cited by 17 publications

References 44 publications

Taming Proteus: Challenges for Risk Regulation of Powerful Digital Labor Platforms

Taming Proteus: Challenges for Risk Regulation of Powerful Digital Labor Platforms

Perceived COVID‐19 health and job risks faced by digital platform drivers and measures in place to protect them: A qualitative study

Examining gender differences in gig worker safety

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