Algorithmic management of platform workers: An examination of the Canadian and European approaches to regulation

Abstract

Algorithmic management, though less attention-grabbing than total job automation, is expected to become even more influential and powerful over time. The realities of algorithmic management have gained increasing scholarly attention over the last decade, particularly in the context of employment relationships in the platform economy. This article contributes to existing scholarship by comparing two important pieces of legislation impacting algorithmic management in the platform economy: Ontario's Digital Workers’ Rights Act 2022 (‘the Act’) and the Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on Improving Conditions in Platform Work (‘the Directive’). The thrust of this article is that while the general tenor of the Act indicates a step in the right direction, its restrictive approach to information rights limits its overall effectiveness in regulating algorithmic management of platform workers.