The invisible clock: working time of drivers and riders in the platform Economy

Abstract

This paper addresses the issue of the working time of drivers and delivery people in the platform economy, starting from the premise that these are dependent and employed workers. Specifically, the discourse of flexibility and freedom of these workers is contrasted with reality, concluding that working time is somewhat lax and blurred, and that the flexibility-freedom binomial is a business dialectical discourse far from reality. In another order, different times linked to work are identified, such as connection times to the order or at the disposal of the company, times destined for transfers, active waiting times and effective work times, evaluating that they can be identified with the conceptual notion of working time. This finding directly impacts two core aspects; on the one hand, in relation to the limitation of working hours and breaks, and on the other hand, in relation to the remuneration of these workers. It is postulated that when integrating the notion of working time, these temporary spaces must be considered within the limits of the time allocated to work in each day (daily limitation of working hours), intra-day (intermediate rest), inter-days (breaks between days), weekly (weekly rest) and annual (annual leave). Likewise, it is diagnosed that these times are not paid directly by the companies, therefore, each of said working hours must respect the minimum salary requirements that are established by the regulations derived from autonomous or heteronomous sources.