Reconsidering Working Time Regulation for the Protection of Platform Workers’ Health and Safety

Abstract

This paper addresses health and safety regulation and working time in platform work, with a focus on food delivery services. In recent years, platform work has highlighted many challenges in legal debates, and health and safety is one of the “hot topics” informing academic discussion. The paper reviews existing literature on working time and health and safety in platform work and draws on qualitative research on delivery riders’ working experiences to identify some of the pressing issues. It then presents the current legal regulatory framework, from European Union and United Kingdom perspectives, identifies challenges, and establishes the importance of working time regulation to improving riders’ health and safety protection.