While the early months of the pandemic saw an emphasis placed on the contributions made by previously under-appreciated workers, from grocery store staff to nurses, refuge collectors to delivery drivers.  There is a sense that such enthusiasm has waned as the pandemic has progressed, with a reversion to the norm of these key workers being taken for granted again.

This is largely the result of the short-term appreciation for the support people provide to society as a whole giving way to a desire for them to continue supporting us even as the stresses and strains of the pandemic mounted.  Nowhere is this transition more evident than among gig workers, whose workload ballooned as we transitioned to online commerce in the early months of the pandemic.

Risk and reward

Research from Wharton explores the difficult choices gig workers are increasingly having to make in terms of the risks they’re willing to take in order to do the best job possible.

The study highlights the often considerable demands placed on gig workers by both consumers and the platforms, and how these demands can be managed alongside those associated with the health of workers.

“When you have contingent work and don’t have the structure of an employment relationship, you are much more precarious,” the authors explain. “There’s heightened pressure on customer-facing workers during the pandemic because it’s not only that you need to be devoted and available all the time, but also how much risk you’re going to take on and how much you’ll be smiling while you do it.”

The study took place via the TaskRabbit platform, which allows consumers to hire independent workers to perform a variety of tasks and errands.  The researchers analyzed both job-related data on the site as well as interviews with workers and media coverage of the platform and its workers.

Hard-earned reputation

As with most gig economy platforms, workers on TaskRabbit are rated after each job, with workers with a higher rating typically featured more prominently in the search listings.  Such a ranking was particularly valuable during the pandemic as demand for services soared.

Whereas most people were confined to their homes to limit the spread of the virus, TaskRabbit workers were in direct contact with numerous people every day.  The research found that workers would typically deploy one of four different tactics in an attempt to stay safe.

• Revealing – This is where workers overtly tried to protect themselves, even if that deviated from the expectations of the customer.  For instance, they may wear personal protective equipment, even if this is not required by the platform or expected by customers.
• Passing – Which is when workers attempt to adopt more subtly protective measures.  For instance, they may modify their profile on the platform so that they avoid work that places them at greater risk, or only work with customers they’re previously familiar with.
• Covering – This is when the worker changes their behavior away from that which is expected by the customer, but they try to distract them from this act in some way.  For instance, they may reframe their use of protective equipment as an attempt to protect the customer rather than themselves.
• Withdrawing – The final approach is to withdraw from the platform entirely and no longer accept jobs.

The researchers believe the last two of these tactics are new, with “covering” particularly interesting as the act is framed in such a way as to present it as valuable to the consumer.

“Covering speaks to the ingenuity of people in resource-constrained situations,” the researchers explain. “They are going to be very creative and figure things out.”

Suffice to say, many workers utilized a combination of these approaches rather than one in isolation in a complex trade-off between managing customer expectations and the health risk posed by the virus.

Limited options

Of course, it was also noticeable during the early months of the pandemic that official government support programs often omitted gig workers, which forced many to continue working despite the health risks they faced.  Indeed, it was precisely the relatively limited choices available to these workers that inspired the research in the first place.

Indeed, the authors highlight how so much of the research into the future of work revolves around professional, white-collar workers, with many of the “key workers” lauded at the start of the pandemic excluded from this narrative.

While public attention may have moved on from those early days, the demand for gig workers has shown no sign of letting up, with continuing pressure on workers to ensure that customers are satisfied and they provide workers with good ratings.

In harm’s way

The study is part of a growing body of work looking at the health and safety of gig workers during the pandemic, however.  For instance, research from the University of Washington highlights the stress caused to gig drivers by the constant potential for exposure to the virus from their passengers.

“It’s a job that is vital to so many people, for moving people to and from medical appointments, to and from the airport, etc. Obviously, app-based drivers are essential for moving people,” the researchers say. “It’s vital work, but it’s largely something the general public seems to forget about.”

The study highlights the risks involved with each ride, not least from the potential to catch the virus from passengers.  With the typical driver taking dozens of passengers per day, it’s a risk that many of us take for granted.

This health risk was exacerbated by the lack of financial protection that often meant drivers faced the prospect of putting their health at risk or going without any income at all.  What’s more, most had to foot the full cost of any protective measures for their vehicle.

The study found that most drivers felt high levels of stress during the pandemic, not least due to concerns about catching the virus.  Many also reported difficulties in securing state support for any lost income during the period, with few revealing they received appropriate support from the company they drove for in terms of protective equipment.

“For workers who are in this kind of employment during the pandemic, they receive very little support from the companies that they drive for, and this is a population that had a lot of awareness of the potential exposures they could be facing,” the researchers say. “They had a lot of concerns and worries, not only about how those exposures would be affecting their health and their family’s health, but also the viability and their job.”

Sense of isolation

What’s more, the isolated nature of gig work meant that drivers felt unable to band together, whether for informal social support or to lobby the companies they drive for for better conditions.

Even seemingly straightforward issues, such as finding restrooms, were complicated during the pandemic as many public restrooms were shut to try and stop the spread of the virus.

“You have other people who are doing the same job as you, but you may never interact with them. So you miss out on some of that strength, not only brainstorming of like, ‘Hey what masks are you using?’ or ‘Where are you stopping?’ but it also keeps workers from organizing,” the researchers conclude. “If you get these workers talking to each other and recognizing that they are all facing the same struggles, that can lead to changes.”