Unpaid Work in the Platform Economy - Part of the ResPecTMe Project
Project Name
Unpaid Work in the Platform Economy
Funder
KU Leuven
Duration
2025-2028
About the Project
As part of KU Leuven’s ResPecTMe project, the WageIndicator Foundation will conduct the Unpaid Work surveys to assess the extent and monetary implications of unpaid work in the platform economy.
Many, if not the majority, of platform workers, as well as freelancers and other self-employed workers, perform unpaid work on a regular basis. Different forms of unpaid work include preparing for gigs, commuting to work sites, purchasing necessary tools and materials, handling administrative tasks, upgrading skills through training, keeping up with market demands, and self-promotion.
This survey aims to measure the frequency and intensity of unpaid activities as part of platform work.
The project’s two research objectives are:
- Do platform workers experience a wage penalty when performing a given volume of unpaid activities as part of the platform work?
- Do platform workers experience a wage penalty when performing a given volume of unpaid housework activities?
The survey is hosted on the WageIndicator Foundation’s frequently visited webpages on the gig economy. It will be promoted through WageIndicator’s social media channels, newsletters, and websites and will be specifically targeted at 45 countries where Dutch, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish are spoken.
The survey will be visible on the gig & platform pages of WageIndicator’s websites as well as gigpedia.org, WageIndicator’s platform-economy focussed website that is part of a larger project with the FairWork Institute and the Leeds Index of Platform Work Protest.
If you would like to take the survey, you can do so here.