6 : Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford
(OII)
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Website* : Corresponding author
Currently, the deployment of algorithmic management (AM) systems in the platform work context is a prominent theme in academic research. This expanding body of scholarly literature enhances our understanding of the role of AM in augmenting managerial functions, in reshaping work organisation and relations, while also raising critical concerns about its implications for labour standards and workers' welfare. Despite these contributions, some critical gaps remain. In particular, issues related to the configurations of AM systems used by companies in worker control, their convergences and divergences within and across sectors, and the implications of these configurations for human agency and employment relations remain significantly under-researched. In this study, we aim to partially bridge this gap by examining Germany's location-based platform economy, mapping the diverse forms and functions of AM as experienced by workers and discussing their relevance for the implementation of the EU Platform Work Directive. Hence, the central question posed is: “In what ways do AM systems function as tools of worker control in Germany's location-based platform economy, and how do these dynamics inform the implementation of the EU Platform Work Directive?” To answer these questions, the study draws on desk research and insights from 56 in-depth, face-to-face qualitative interviews with platform workers conducted as part of Fairwork Germany's 2025 and 2026 annual reports. The study makes two contributions to the scholarly literature. First, it provides an empirically grounded account of the diverse ways in which AM is operationalised in location-based platform work in Germany, offering insights into its convergences and divergences across sectors and work arrangements. These findings enhance and refine our understanding of domains of work in which worker control mechanisms are algorithmically managed, as well as the interplay between automation and human involvement in managerial decisions regarding worker control in the platform economy. Second, the study interprets its empirical findings within the framework of the EU Platform Work Directive's provisions on human oversight and the legal presumption of an employment relationship. In doing so, it contributes to policy debates by highlighting the limited value of human agency in algorithmic decision-making without meaningful redress mechanisms for workers, and the widespread use of algorithmic control in sectors where platforms circumvent employer obligations.
Subject :
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Abstract
Topics
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Algorithmic management, labour control, and workers’ resistance
Keywords
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algorithmic management ; labour control ; EU Platform Work Directive ; platform economy ; Germany
