TOWARDS A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL THEORY OF TEMPORAL CONTROL IN THE GIG ECONOMY

Resumen

This paper proposes a multi-dimensional theory of temporal control in the gig economy. Specifically, we focus on different types of platform-based temporal control and their respective effects on (a) workers’ autonomy, (b) value of free time, and (c) their social and political connectedness. Theoretically, we draw on the sociology of time and normative time literature in political theory. Empirically, the framework is informed by the synthesis of the literature about algorithms in the gig economy, with particular attention to the methods of temporal control. Meanwhile, we draw insights from a larger comparative project that examines algorithmic labor control and resistance across ride-hailing platforms (Uber and Lyft), TaskRabbit, and delivery platforms (DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Instacart) in the United States. The project interviewed 50 gig workers between 2017 and 2020. Through a systematic synthesis of primary and secondary materials, this paper contributes to understanding temporalities and work autonomy in the gig economy, and more broadly, flexible workplaces where the boundaries between work and non-work time become blurred.