Online Panel Survey of Platform Workers

The survey aims to increase the understanding of the working conditions, work patterns and work–life balance of women and men engaged in platform work from a gender perspective.

The online panel survey of platform workers was implemented in 10 selected EU countries – Denmark, Spain, France, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland – and focused on identifying and collecting data from platform workers. The respondents, aged 16-54, who passed the filter questions on platform work participated in the online survey and received the questions aimed at platform workers. The non probability sampling of survey respondents was carried out using the consumer survey panel aggregator Cint. The panel contains detailed demographic information, which was used to target respondents and validate survey data. The survey fieldwork was carried out in November and December 2020. The final validated sample of platform workers comprised 4 932 respondents.<br>The first two sections of the questionnaire were used to identify platform workers in the full sample. Another 11 thematic sections focused on sociodemographic profile of platform workers, working time, work patterns, working conditions, incomes, housework and care responsibilities, motivation and drawbacks of doing platform work as well as on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ever gained income from any of the following sources: selling, renting, leasing, crowdfunding, working (freelancing) via online platforms, when work is web-based and provided remotely, working (freelancing) via online platforms, when work is performed on location); education.

Involvement in platform work: type of web-based remote services provided via online platforms (clerical and data-entry tasks, creative and multimedia work, sales and marketing support work, software development and technology work, writing and translation work, microtasks, other personal services, other, none of the above); type of on-location work (transportation services, delivery services, housekeeping or other home services, construction and repair work, sports, beauty, health and wellness services, photography services, pet care and/ or veterinary services, childcare or elderly care services; teaching or counselling services, tourism and gastronomy services, temporary auxiliary work, mystery shopper activities, other, none of the above); highest level of education.

Work via online platforms: last time worked via online platforms; regularity of platform work; year started working via online platforms; frequency of platform work: in the past 6 months there was at least a month during which the respondent worked via platforms every week; frequency of work via online platforms that months; future plans to engage in platform works in the next 6 months; duration of tasks of varying length; hours per week searching or waiting for tasks or work assignment; hours per week implementing tasks/ work assignment; hours spent working on platforms; work organization (I was able to secure tasks/ work assignments via online platforms according to my plans or schedules, I worked fixed starting and finishing times, I could plan when and how much I would work via platforms well in advance, I had to reject a task/ work assignment because of ma other commitments, I worked on nights and/ or weekends, my working hours on platforms were scattered throughout the day, in between other activities, I was distracted by my other commitments; reasons for difficulties in planning the platform work schedules (availability of tasks/ work assignments on platforms during specific times a day, other commitments outside online platforms, caring for children or educating children, caring for disabled, elderly or infirm family members, neighbours or friends, preferences or rules of clients, household chores, personal preferences, other).
Motivation: Motivational factors to work through digital platforms (nor regular job opportunities, laid of from job, good way to earn (additional) income, I can combine it with my household chores, compatible with my other regular activities, it is a way to develop skills, I can choose when and where I work, I can work globally, my platform work tasks are related to my interests or hobbies, other).

Drawbacks of platform work: Negative aspects of platform work (boring, uninteresting tasks or work assignments, difficulty to combine with household chores, poor access to social security, low or unfair pay, lack of possibilities for skills and career advancement, issues with the platform, issues with clients, difficulties in securing tasks/ work assignments on platforms, stressful nature of work via online platforms, unfair ratings, poor health and safety conditions at work, high competition for tasks, unpredictable working hours, unpredictable income, other, none); experience of discrimination while providing services via online platforms for any of the following reasons: age, skin colour, nationality or ethnic origin, sex or gender, body shape or weight, religion or religious beliefs, illness or disability, language or accent, sexual orientation, other, none of the above.

Broader impact of COVID-19: experiences because of the COVID-19 pandemic or related policy measures (I lost my paid job, my spouse or partner lost paid job, my household’s financial situation deteriorated, I had to leave my accommodation, I had to spend more time for household chores, I had to take leave or time off from paid job because I was sick, or because I was in quarantine or self-isolation, or because it was closed, lost clients or significantly reduced business activities); receipt of any of the following forms of COVID-19 support (support from relatives or friends, from non-governmental organization and charities, paid sick leave or paid care leave, wage support, unemployment benefit, deferral, reduction or cancellation of tax, bill, mortgage, loan or debt payments, other, none of the above); type of impacts of COVID-19 on platform work (because of it I started or restarted working via online, I worked more/ fewer hours via online platforms, I stopped working on online platforms).

Employment situation: current employment situation besides platform work; hours worked in this job.

Household composition: number of people in the household; relationship to people in the household; number of children in the household by age group (children under the age of 3, 3-6 year old children, children older than 6); number of grandchildren in the household by age group; use of maternity, paternity or parental leave in the past 3 months.

Housework and care responsibilities: hours per week spent doing unpaid household labour (houshild work, taking care of, educating and playing with children, taking care of disabled, elderly or infirm family members, neighbours or friends; division of household labour: involvement in comparison to the partner or spouse in the following activities: household work, taking care of, educating and playing with children, taking care of disabled, elderly or infirm family members, neighbours or friends.

Partner or spouse: current employment situation of spouse or partner; respondent or partner or spouse has the higher income.

About the respondent: highest level of education; types of personally received income in the last 6 months (earnings from employment, earnings from work via online platforms, earnings from self-employment, pensions, unemployment benefits, sickness and disability benefits, education-related allowances, tax credits, other sources, no source of personal income); average personal monthly income in the past 6 months; percentage of overall personal income from platform work.

Demography: sex; age; age groups; gender and age categories; education; education group; country of birth.

Additionally coded: Response ID; country; status (complete, disqualified); language; weighting factors.