Multi-party working relationships in gig work: Towards a new perspective

Work in the gig economy is widely debated for its promises and pitfalls. In gig work, roles are heavily fragmented and hyper-flexible, ‘gigs’ are issued on a task-by-task basis, and workers are classified as independent contractors rather than employees. In this chapter, we examine the unique nature of ‘gig’ working relationships, focusing exclusively on the app-work variant to explore how this arrangement develops with the involvement of multiple parties and inherently disrupts traditional conceptualisations of the employment relationship. In lacking a robust legal architecture, we draw on psychological contract theory to critically examine the individualised nature of the multi-party working relationship found in app-work, where the governing role of technology shapes the arrangement. In doing so, we contribute to understanding of the social problems related to app-work (e.g. precarity, questionable working conditions), explore potential solutions to these issues, and consider the practical and theoretical implications of this heavily digitalised working relationship.