Gig economy and mental health

After the visitors had finished their dinner at around 10.30 pm, one of them suddenly realized that he had forgotten to bring some essential medications. At this point, an app that distributes medications at unusual hours was suggested by someone. He further boasted that he seldom goes to the market since he finds several applications to be highly dependable and hassle-free for getting his daily needs done. He did not overlook the fact that we live in a digital age where we should utilize technology to the fullest. As a result, he completes all of his work using an app that continually provides him cleaners, cooks, and housekeepers, avoiding the tiresome task of employing someone for an extended period of time.

It’s commonly believed that as financialization, global value chain developed and digitization emerged, modern workplace culture has been redefined. This modern culture is flexible, offers a great deal of freedom in the workplace, attracts people, and has a significant potential to create jobs.  

The connection between the employer and the employee has changed most dramatically in this modern work culture. Capitalists have envisioned an ideal organization in which employees are truly interchangeable parts that don’t cause any disturbances, with performance standards governing everything and no basic talents that the business depends on. This creates a capital-labour interaction between workers and digital platforms, which mediates the supply of workers and the demand from consumers for the completion of a short task, or GIG, and thus gives rise to the GIG ECONOMY.

In such a work arrangement, the employee is hired to accomplish a task rather than having a long-term relationship with a specific organization, and as a result, they are not entitled to any social or professional securities. Businesses gain from lower costs since they have less accountability for these gig workers.

While some employees perceive flexibility, others perceive a lack of structure, which can worsen conditions like melancholy and anxiety. Earnings in the gig economy are insecure, which can lead to additional strain and stress that isn’t present in traditional labour. All of which implies that the mental health of its employees may suffer greatly under this promising new free market system.

The belief that workers can never truly make as much as they are promised is one of the most detrimental effects of the gig economy. The majority of Uber and Lyft drivers make less money than they are promised, according to many reports. Forty-five percent of Uber drivers make less than $100 a month, according to a survey from Earnest. This is mostly because gig workers are held to unreasonable standards, which can cause a great deal of mental stress. There is less work-life balance and more disruption to social or family lives when working hours are unpredictable and uncontrollable. The work-life balance of gig workers could be particularly vulnerable since they deal with both risk factors—self-employment and temporary contracts. Regardless of the nature of the employment, the state of the art currently indicates that gig workers are engaging in emotional labour.
Compared to their counterparts outside the gig economy, these professions are significantly more emotionally taxing due to their high employment turnover, lack of career opportunities, and ongoing pressure from continuous monitoring and customer ratings.

 The study, “Towards a Safe and Healthy Future of Work,” examined how technological advancements, climate change, and changes in working practices may endanger the health, safety, and well-being of employees. A study of 1000 gig workers by IOSH, in UK where 1000 gig workers showed in the past year 2024, two out of five reported having dealt with stress brought on by or exacerbated by their jobs, and a third reported feeling worn out or exhausted. Working for an online platform, according to more than half (58%) of respondents, led to erratic income, which made it hard to pay expenses. The same percentage also claimed that it was hard to care for dependents, such as elderly family members and children. Nearly two-thirds (63%) claimed it had an impact on their capacity to take time off, and 54% thought their job security was low. All of this results in anxiety disorders, loneliness, and depression among the gig workers.

As David Weil say, this modern work culture has created a Fissured Workplace. Social security and well-defined labour relations are provided by the traditional workplace, which is known as the basis upon which people rely for stable employment circumstances. This workplace has been fractured for the past thirty years and has penetrated into the mental health of GIG workers.

Dr Trishna Sarkar, Asst Prof, Dept of Economics, Dr BhimRao Ambedkar College, University of Delhi.