Gig workers pay a price for the flexibility bestowed by the sector’s business model, in which platforms connect them with customers without taking responsibility for them as employees. As well as being excluded from the kind of employee benefits that offer a financial safety net — such as paid sick and holiday leave — they tend to miss out on other perks afforded to those on traditional contracts, such as subsidised gym membership.
At the same time, research shows gig workers are more likely to suffer from stress. As part of the “precariat”, they lack income and job security.
Recent high-profile legal cases suggest businesses are the biggest winners from the gig economy, and examples of perceived exploitation have dented the sector’s reputation.