Pay in gig economy jobs: "It's about defining what counts as work. Unpaid labour included"
What You’ll Read
Living Pay for self-employed workers gig workers: a necessary conversation
Research into unpaid labour: some findings
Why unpaid labour is in the DNA of the gig economy
The link between unpaid labour and Living Pay
Our webinar about gig workers and Living Pay
Why is it necessary to discuss a pay floor for self-employed workers in gig economy jobs? Gig economy jobs have grown significantly alongside the digitalisation of various sectors, leading to a substantial increase in the number of self-employed gig and platform workers. Yet, they are often overlooked in pay-related debates and initiatives.
To address this issue, we are hosting a webinar on the 14th of November, 2025, from 2-3:30 pm CET, to explore how to ensure a Living Pay for self-employed gig and platform workers.
In the run-up to the event, we talked to one of the speakers: Valeria Pulignano, Professor of Sociology at the Centre for Sociological Research (CESO).
Why is it important to advocate for a living pay for self-employed workers in gig economy jobs?
People who are self-employed gig workers often live in uncertainty and can even stumble upon hidden forms of unpaid labour.
“The rise of the gig economy has redefined what it means to work and to earn a living. For self-employed gig workers, the promise of autonomy often masks a more troubling reality. Especially workers in personal services, food-delivery, ride-hailing, or care and domestic workers often have work that is fragmented, uncertain, and often under- or unpaid. Yet debates about wages and fair pay have historically focused on standard employment, leaving a growing segment of workers outside the scope of living-wage protections.”
You have done a lot of research into the working conditions in gig economy jobs; what did you discover?
“In my research for the RespectMe project, I show that behind the apparent flexibility of gig work lies a politics of unpaid labour. For example time spent searching for gigs, maintaining ratings, or managing digital profiles. All essential elements for a gig worker to get paid opportunities, but often remains uncompensated. The line between paid and unpaid time in gig work has become increasingly blurred. This ambiguity forces workers to shoulder unpaid labour and deepens inequalities. It also undermines the dignified foundations of work central to welfare societies.
How is it possible to have unpaid labour in gig economy jobs?
“Unpaid labour is not a small, unimportant or accidental feature of gig work: it is in the DNA of the way the platform economy organises and values labour. If we want to understand its impact on a living hourly pay, we need to look at the different things that contribute to unpaid labour in this system.”
- Gig workers are officially self-employed. However they depend on platforms for their income. Platforms control their visibility, ratings, and their access to tasks. The algorithms of these platforms reward availability over completed work. Since workers depend on these platforms, they are forced to spend unpaid time staying logged in, refreshing apps, or waiting for job offers.
- Gig workers must invest time in unpaid activities to stay competitive. They need to constantly promote themselves, communicate with clients, and respond quickly, even outside of paid hours. This increases their chances of being recognised by ranking systems, which can lead to more tasks, shifts, and visibility. In this system, workers must continually prove their availability and value.
- Self-employed workers in gig jobs also have to handle all the administrative work themselves. This includes tasks such as paying taxes, creating invoices, arranging schedules and resolving client disputes, often without any additional pay. In personal and care services, more emotional and relational labour is also required. Workers are expected to build trust with clients by providing 'extra' care and communication, as well as maintaining relationships. Although these activities are socially valuable, they are economically invisible.
- Unlike traditional employment, work in the gig economy consists of short, discontinuous tasks. This fragmentation blurs the line between work and life. In this 'grey zone', workers are constantly available, yet unpaid, which has an impact on their personal lives and families.
What is the link between unpaid labour and the Living Pay in gig economy jobs?
“A ‘Living Pay’ for the self-employed is not only about ensuring adequate income. It is also about redefining what counts as work in gig economy jobs, and who should bear the costs of flexibility.
In the gig economy, employers, i.e. platform companies, have no obligations or responsibilities. Wage policies, collective agreements and social insurance used to protect workers, but now the risks that were previously managed collectively are borne by workers themselves.
There is an imbalance: being self-employed in the gig economy does not give you the freedom to be 'your own boss'. In fact, it makes you dependent on platforms and leaves you vulnerable, because you need to perform under the control of algorithms and face high levels of competition.
Additionally, the discussion on pay should broaden in order to reconnect with wider social debates. It should encourage policymakers to adopt new approaches when addressing the challenges posed by platform-based work. It also invites clients to reconsider the costs of the platform economy in terms of workers' income, dignity and risk. Ultimately, the Living Pay debate is about creating a fair and sustainable model for the new forms of work that are reshaping everyday life.”
During the webinar, Valeria will share her additional insights into the politics of unpaid labour, explaining why it is a systemic issue.
What insights do you plan to bring to the webinar on Living Pay?
During the webinar, Valeria will share her additional insights into the politics of unpaid labour, explaining why it is a systemic issue.
“I aim to highlight two key insights. First of all, unpaid labour affects more than just a few workers. It is rooted in the system. It is generated by the way in which digital platforms organise access to work through algorithmic control, the fragmentation of tasks, and reputation systems. Workers face all the costs and risks. As previously mentioned, since they spend a considerable amount of time on necessary unpaid work activities, the Living Pay rate should reflect total working time. I will be happy to explain this further during the webinar and provide evidence that, if we do not consider total working time, we risk legitimising income levels that fall well below the threshold for a decent standard of living.”
“Secondly, recognising that unpaid labour is an issue for all gig economy workers reminds us that they all deserve equal rights. This requires us to rethink not only pay rates, but also social protection, collective representation, and responsibility. The debate should also help us find solutions to the gender- and class-based inequalities stemming from this system. Ultimately, the goal is to pave the way for decent work and guarantee social justice.”
Along with Valeria Pulignano, a variety of other academics and practitioners will share their insights and perspectives on why Living Pay is important and how it can be achieved.
“From the webinar, I hope to gain new insights into how the concept of Living Pay can be put into practice for the self-employed and platform workers. In particular, how policymakers, unions, and platform actors are experimenting with metrics and governance tools to quantify unpaid labour.
I believe that the Living Pay agenda should be linked to broader discussions about the value of social and care work, collective regulation, and the voice of workers in the platform economy. That’s why I see this exchange as an opportunity to bridge the gap between academic research and public policy. It gives us a chance to connect unpaid labour from a conceptual standpoint to the practical challenges of everyday life. This is crucial to ensure fairness and sustainability in the digital labour market.”
| Register now for our webinar, 'Living Pay for Self-Employed Gig Workers' |
If you enjoyed this article, read on to find out more about the gig economy and unpaid labour:
- With the rise of the gig economy, who pays the bill for unpaid work?
- Living Tariff: Rethinking Fair Compensation for the Self-Employed
- Living Tariff and gig workers: a new concept for calculating costs and raising awareness
Valeria Pulignano is the Principal Investigator of the ResPecTMe ERC Advanced Grant project, which is researching forms of unpaid labour in the platform economy.
Find out more:
- RespectMe project: Researching precariousness across the paid/unpaid work continuum
She is also PI of the ERC PoC ResTLess which will develop a cross-national harmonised database on the measurement survey module of unpaid labour.
Valeria recently wrote The Politics of Unpaid Labour. The book is available open access.