ABSTRACT
Millions of people worldwide find work via digital platforms that match clients and consumers with independent workers for tasks and short-term projects. The advent of platform-based employment was heralded as offering workers opportunities for greater flexibility and autonomy but has also sparked criticism from those who view the gig economy as exemplifying the worst aspects of precarious work, most notably in terms of shifting greater risk from companies to individuals. Although the empirical research base on gig workers has increased dramatically in recent years, the literature to date has been characterized by a static perspective and fragmentation across various academic disciplines. This chapter presents a framework for examining the risks to individuals performing platform-based gig work. We compare platform-based employment to other forms of contingent work as well as to traditional employment and highlight defining features of gig work that are increasingly common in traditional employment. A selective, cross-disciplinary review of recent research findings helps to clarify key issues and identify knowledge gaps where empirical research is most needed.
