The risk of overwork and driving all day in the platform economy

There is scope to do more to improve working conditions and career prospects for ride-hailing drivers and food delivery riders.

Appropriate safeguards against overwork may be needed – whether further rules or voluntary standards adopted by platform companies. PHOTO: ST FILE
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The platform economy arrived in time for Covid-19. It fed a demand for food deliveries at a time people were required to stay home. It created income opportunities for many who had lost their jobs.

However, there is growing recognition that platform workers could fall into precarity, without the traditional forms of protection afforded by employment laws. Post-pandemic, the pace of regulation is picking up as countries consider how to safeguard the rights of platform workers.

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