Australia – Nearly half of gig economy workers have no work-related insurance, Victorian government study finds

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Nearly half of gig economy workers in Australia report that their platform does not provide them with work-related insurance, according to new research commissioned by the Victorian Government.

The research, conducted by researchers at the Queensland University of Technology, the University of Adelaide and the University of Technology Sydney, is Australia’s largest-ever study regarding the on-demand economy with more than 14,000 people polled. It was commissioned by the Victorian Government to support the ongoing work of the landmark Victorian Inquiry into the on-demand workforce.

The report, ‘Digital Platform Work in Australia: Prevalence, Nature and Impact’ also found that more than 30% of respondents do not know whether their platform has a dispute resolution process.

More than 100 different platforms are being used by respondents to undertake work. The five most popular platforms are Airtasker, Uber, Freelancer, Uber Eats and Deliveroo. More than a third of current platform workers work across more than one platform.

The report found that younger people and males are the most likely to find work through digital platforms. In contrast, people in major cities are more likely to have undertaken platform work than people in regional and remote areas.

Meanwhile, people who speak a language other than English at home are 1.5 times more likely to be platform workers.

When asked what they were earning from their primary digital platform, 40% of respondents did not know how much they were paid per hour. An average of 4.9 hours per week is spent on unpaid platform activities designed to obtain work, such as updating profiles, quoting and searching and bidding for work.

The report also found that almost two-thirds of Australians routinely rely on online platforms such as Uber or Airtasker to buy goods and services.

Minister for Industrial Relations Tim Pallas said, “This data shows us just how much we rely on gig economy workers. It’s essential they are given the protection they deserve. Our landmark inquiry will ensure we can plug the gaps and fix the inequities in the system to ensure these workers have the right to fair pay and safe working conditions.”

The Victorian Government’s landmark Inquiry was commissioned following widespread concern over the wages and conditions offered to workers in the gig economy. Chaired by former Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James, the report will be presented to the government and made public shortly.