Alessio Bertolini worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at Fairwork, based at the Oxford Internet Institute. He coordinated Fairwork’s research in location-based digital labour platforms across countries, both in the Global North and the Global South. Alessio has longstanding expertise in comparative labour market policies and regulations of casual and non-standard workers and a keen interest in the impact of digitalisation and, more broadly, technological change, on working conditions and labour standards. Alessio completed his PhD in Social Policy at the University of Edinburgh and a postdoc at the School of Law of the University of Glasgow. His background is interdisciplinary, spanning from sociology of work, comparative political economy and labour law.
Platform economy; labour market policy; employment precariousness; social security
With Professor Mark Graham, and Dr Alessio Bertolini
The FairWork project and how it is helping make short-term, low job security 'gig' work fairer across the world.
By Alessio Bertolini, Matthew Cole, Mark Graham, Srujana Katta, Daniel Arubayi, and Funda Ustek-Spilda
Workers in the growing gig economy face persistent gaps in worker protections. This first Fairwork UK ratings report scores ten platforms on the working conditions that they offer and highlights where labour standards need improving.
By Funda Ustek-Spilda, Richard Heeks, Mark Graham, Alessio Bertolini, Srujana Katta, Sandra Fredman, Kelle Howson, Fabian Ferrari, Mounika Neerukonda, Pradyumna Taduri, Adam Badger, and Nancy Salem
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit precarious gig workers particularly hard. This Fairwork report considers platforms’ responses to the virus and suggests that work remains to sufficiently protect their workers.
2 July 2024
Fairwork researchers propose recommendations for the incoming government, to provide a foundation for fairer and more sustainable platform work in the UK.
8 June 2022
New Oxford report reveals best and worst practices in UK gig economy.
25 May 2021
Eleven of the UK’s most popular digital labour platforms have been rated according to how fairly they treat workers. In the first study of its kind in the UK, Oxford researchers score companies on standards such as pay, conditions and management.
30 March 2021
Euronews, 27 October 2025
One in four workplaces in Europe is making decisions using algorithms or AI that will impact the working life of their employees. The OII's Dr Alessio Bertolini argues the need for more legislation to protect workers' rights.
La Repubblica, 30 October 2024
There are 2.2m Italians who declared that they received an income through a digital platform (1.5% of the population between 18 and 74 years old).
Reuters, 07 February 2023
Gig workers using digital platforms hail European Union move to boost their rights.
