The authors investigate the relationship between platform work engagement and worker mental health on the basis of two nationally representative samples of Canadian workers. Integrating insights from the job demands–resources model and Schor’s idea of “platform dependence,” they examine whether a dependent attachment to the platform economy is associated with poorer mental health.
In contrast to work conditions, which contribute little to these distress patterns, financial strain explains approximately 50 percent of dependent platform workers’ higher distress. Contingency analyses reveal that financial strain also exacerbates the mental health penalties associated with dependent platform work. These findings support a “dependent-precarity” perspective of platform work stress, raising questions about the future health challenges posed by platform work in a post-pandemic economy.
PhD
Associate Professor, Sociology Associate Professor, Social Psychology
Areas of interest: Employment, Occupational health, Occupations & organization, Precarious employment, Statistics, Work & occupations
Glavin, P., & Schieman, S. (2022). Dependency and Hardship in the Gig Economy: The Mental Health Consequences of Platform Work. Socius. Available online here.