The estimated 50 million gig workers worldwide have been particularly hard-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Reports indicate that half have lost their jobs; those still working have lost two-thirds of their income on average; and many face the impossible choice between destitution and infection. While those still in work perform functions essential to society, the pandemic has opened up fracture lines of inequality: not just between gig workers and others who are currently better served by government support schemes, but also by placing added pressures on women, immigrants, and minority-ethnic groups who form a core part of the gig workforce.
To investigate this further, the research team at the Fairwork Foundation undertook a survey of platform response policies; as of April 2020 covering 120 platforms in 23 countries across Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Africa. The report finds that, despite some positive responses, a number of issues remain in platforms’ protection of their workers during the pandemic.
Research Associate
Dr Funda Ustek-Spilda was a postdoctoral researcher and project manager on the Fairwork project at the Oxford Internet Institute.
University of Manchester
Professor of Internet Geography
Mark Graham is an economic geographer. His research focuses on digital labour, the gig economy, and digital inequalities. He is the author, most recently, of The Gig Economy: A Critical Introduction.
Researcher
Alessio Bertolini is a Researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute for the project FairWork, where he is investigating platform work in the UK and Germany.
DPhil Student
Srujana is a doctoral student at the OII and a member of the Fairwork Project. Her research focusses on digital labour, migration, and resistance.
Faculty of Law, University of Oxford
Former Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr Kelle Howson is a Research Associate on the Fairwork project. Kelle is a development geographer interested in how ethical certification is reshaping governance and power relations in global networks.
Former DPhil Student
Fabian's doctoral research examined the political economy of artificial intelligence.
Fairwork Foundation
Fairwork Foundation
Former Research Associate
Adam Badger was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute, researching working practice in the global gig economy as part of the Fairwork project.
DPhil Student
Nancy is a DPhil student at the OII. Her research concerns the public perception and user experience of emerging technologies.
