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Journal of Social Policy

2024-09-01

Investigating social protection amongst platform workers in Germany: forced individualisation, hybrid income generation and undesired regulation

In September, the Open Acess article "Investigating social protection amongst platform workers in Germany: forced individualisation, hybrid income generation and undesired regulation" was published in the Journal of Social Policy. This article presents an explorative empirical analysis of the social protection of platform workers in Germany - a conservative welfare regime with a strong link between standard employment and institutionalised social protection. On the basis of an online survey amongst 719 self-employed platform workers, the authors examine how different employment patterns correspond to institutionalised protection against sickness and old age. They empirically explore different protection types and analyse how they differ regarding working conditions in platform work and individual social policy preferences.

cover journal of social policy
© Cambridge University Press

Investigating social protection amongst platform workers in Germany: forced individualisation, hybrid income generation and undesired regulation

In September, the Open Acess article "Investigating social protection amongst platform workers in Germany: forced individualisation, hybrid income generation and undesired regulation" was published in the Journal of Social Policy. This article presents an explorative empirical analysis of the social protection of platform workers in Germany - a conservative welfare regime with a strong link between standard employment and institutionalised social protection. On the basis of an online survey amongst 719 self-employed platform workers, the authors examine how different employment patterns correspond to institutionalised protection against sickness and old age. They empirically explore different protection types and analyse how they differ regarding working conditions in platform work and individual social policy preferences.


Abstract Investigating social protection
Lupe

Findings reveal that conditions of platform work and social protection as well as demands and regulatory preferences vary notably across different clusters of platform workers. Still, the vast majority votes against obligatory social insurances for platform workers and favours self-employment over dependent employment. Against this background, we discuss challenges for future attempts aiming at improving social protection for platform workers. This study adds to the literature by empirically exploring platform workers' social protection and social policy preferences, which have been overlooked to date.

The article was prepared by Dr Fabian Beckmann, Sabrina Glanz, Dr Fabian Hoose and Serkan Topal during the collaboration in a research project between the Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Duisburg-Essen.

The article can be found at the following link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/384286518_Investigating_social_protection_amongst_platform_workers_in_Germany_forced_individualisation_hybrid_income_generation_and_undesired_regulation