NEW CHALLENGES FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH IN TIMES OF THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN EUROPE: THE ROLE OF DIGITAL LABOUR PLATFORMS
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Warwick
Department Name: Institute for Employment Research
Abstract
Many studies nowadays focus on taking stock of the platform economy in Europe (e.g., investigating its magnitude, business models, career and job characteristics of workers, ...), surprisingly the occupational safety and health (OSH) implications of platform work have remained largely under the radar. Against this background, the proposed project aims to (i) investigate the OSH risks and regulations of platform work and (ii) provide recommendations to foster a safe and healthy occupational environment for platform workers in European countries based on the results of this study. Pursuing these aims, the project adopts a mixed-method study design organised into two work packages (WP) and involves platform workers living in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. WP1 will consist in a European mixed-method cohort of platform workers. WP1 will explore longitudinally ways in which platform work is associated with OSH-risks and poor health and the experiences of platform workers in regard to OSH of their jobs. WP2 aims to research ways for promoting changes for safer and healthier occupational
environments for platform work. For doing so, WP2 will explore how do platform work managers perceive the OSH of employees/workers, what are the characteristics of platforms that maintain a healthy work environment and what are the regulatory contexts and challenges in terms of OSH posed by platform of work. Both WPs will explore similarities and differences across countries and forms of platform work, thereby contextualising the findings about health and platform work within different regulatory environments. The expected results of this project will provide new and original scientific understanding of an understudied and evolving challenge for the future world of work. Drawing on the new scientific understanding, the project will provide new guidance for policymakers, companies and trade unions to protect the health of the European workforce.
environments for platform work. For doing so, WP2 will explore how do platform work managers perceive the OSH of employees/workers, what are the characteristics of platforms that maintain a healthy work environment and what are the regulatory contexts and challenges in terms of OSH posed by platform of work. Both WPs will explore similarities and differences across countries and forms of platform work, thereby contextualising the findings about health and platform work within different regulatory environments. The expected results of this project will provide new and original scientific understanding of an understudied and evolving challenge for the future world of work. Drawing on the new scientific understanding, the project will provide new guidance for policymakers, companies and trade unions to protect the health of the European workforce.
Publications
Larsen, T.P.
(2025)
Regulating the European platform economy: turning tides?
Lee, Sangwoo
(2025)
Platform Work in Europe: Job Quality and Mental Wellbeing - Policy Brief
| Description | The key findings generated from the project include among others that health and safety regulation relevant to platform workers is highly fragmented and spread across multiple regulatory areas in the UK, encompassing not only employment and health and safety laws, but also taxi licensing, road safety, public procurement, food safety and health and social care regulations. We also find that UK platform companies are increasingly addressing occupational health and safety through their various company policies and practices, where they also collaborate closely with different public bodies to develop voluntary charters, input to new regulations. This is especially evident within food delivery and the taxi sectors, but less so in other subsectors of the UK gig economy. Our interviews and survey of platform workers also show that many - 64% - among those participating in our survey are without any form of formal contract, while only 5% report that they have the employment status as worker; the rest consider themselves self-employed. Many platform workers are unaware that they are themselves often responsible for taking out liability and accident insurances as they tend to assume they will be covered by statutory social protection in case of injuries, illnesses or accidents. The uncertainties related to platform workers' employment status contribute to this lack of awareness. We also find that most platform workers develop their own strategies to cope with the health and safety risks associated with their platform work and often experience that they receive limited if any help from the platform. |
| Exploitation Route | Research from the GIG-OSH project has already been used to inform the UK government about how health and safety regulation is regulated in the UK vis a vis other European countries and in this way have served as inspiration for future policy developments. We hosted a workshop with key stakeholders from the UK government, trade unions and employer organisations in the UK, which sparked interesting debates and novel insights into how other European countries have dealt with the uncertainties around platform workers employment status and subsequent coverage by statutory health and safety regulations as well as employment laws. |
| Sectors | Government Democracy and Justice Other |
| URL | https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/researchthemesoverview/researchprojects/chanceoshdigitallabourplatforms/ |
| Description | The project findings have already fed into various policy discussions among key stakeholders, including policy-makers, trade unions, and employers' associations, not only within the UK but also beyond, such as in Denmark. The UK research team has presented key findings at various government- and social partner-led events in the UK and Denmark, where representatives from these organisations found the results highly inspiring for ongoing policy developments in this area. The findings from the GIG-OSH project have also facilitated cross-border collaboration among the main universities involved in the project, including the development of an EU COST application as well as a Marie Curie application. The EU COST application is currently under review, and the Marie Curie application is under development, both aiming to further our understanding of the UK and European platform economy. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2025 |
| Sector | Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | Advisory meetings |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Project kick-off meeting that involved professional practioners as advisors. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Digitalisation, algorithmic management and employee involvement - a literature review of key debates |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Approximately 50 key stakeholders attended this kick-off for the implementation of the EU Platform Directive. The event was attended by Danish policymakers, national trade unions and employers' organisations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Project briefing to the Department of Business and Trade |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Briefing to the UK Government's Department of Business and Trade to introduce the project and offer to deliver a presentation to DBT officers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Project briefing to the International Federation of Transport Workers |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Project briefing |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Project briefing to the UK Health and Safety Executive |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Briefing to the UK Health & Safety Executive on the New Challenges for Occupational Safety and Health in times of the digital transformation in Europe project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Regulating the European Platform Economy - recent stakeholder initiatives (Department for Business and Trade) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to inform on how European governments have addressed the employment status of platform workers, and the subsequent regulatory grey zones. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Research and new knowledge about the platform economy and the temproary agency work sector |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | 50 delegates from the Danish employers association (Danish Industries) and Association for Temporary Staffing Agency attended this workshop |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | The Temporary agency sector over time and an international perspective |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | 10 CEOs from Danish staffing agencies attended this workshop on The Temporary agency sector over time and an international perspective; delegates are now involved as participants in a new ESRC-funded project starting June 2025 'MAIJobCare'. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |