Decent Work in Crowdwork: Gendered Takeaways from an Online Survey in the Philippines

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Platform work has the potential to help women reconcile the age-old conflict between unpaid work and market work. However, there is a degree of precariousness in platform work, one that is reminiscent of informal work. Concerns on whether platforms are new vehicles of delivering old inequalities are legitimate. This paper analyzes the issues in this emerging type of work to prevent the widening and deepening of existing inequalities, to ensure decent work in platform work, and to ensure that the work is inclusive and sustainable. It looks at the experience of Filipinos in crowdwork, a platform work that poses challenges in the enforcement of national labor laws as transactions are typically cross borders. The study finds, among others, that: (1) women are more likely to participate in platform work due to considerations of income, housework, and care economy; (2) platform work is done alongside nonplatform work; (3) past experience on the platform is an important factor in the workers’ current platform involvement; (4) the time spent on platform work peaks at minimal care work; (5) there is no gendered difference in the compensation per hour once personal and platform attributes are controlled for; and (6) the compensation per hour received by the respondents is at par with the rate of platforms known for outsourcing routine tasks (microtasks). The study also provides key takeaways to initiate conversations on national programs and initiatives that ensure sustainable and decent work on platforms. Comments to this paper are welcome within 60 days from date of posting. Email publications@mail.pids.gov.ph.