The invisible human in platform work – a qualitative investigation of algorithmic management

Abstract

Platform-mediated work entails significant invisible work. We present this through a qualitative study from the workers’ perspective on cleaning and food delivery platforms in a primarily Danish context. Our study shows how human supporters employed by the companies support the work; the platform workers take on invisible work with the algorithm; the customers coordinate with the workers and restaurant workers coordinate with the workers on the food delivery platforms. Based on this we claim that although the platform worker, contrarily to previous of crowdwork, is more visible in the two forms of platform work we investigate here, both they and other actors around the work undertake significant invisible work. The socalled algorithmic management rests, in our cases, on human discretion and judgements, and we discuss the implications of this in a societal context.