Platform economy database
Database of initiatives and court cases in the EU
Eurofound’s platform economy database provides information on 287 initiatives and court cases that exist or have been implemented in relation to activities in the platform economy. The database was last updated in February 2023 and provides metadata for each entry, such as geographical scope, year, type of initiative, actors involved, sector and companies concerned. Initiatives include legal instruments such as legislative changes or court decisions, as well as voluntary interventions undertaken by different stakeholders to address issues around platform work.
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The database currently contains 287 entries and was last updated in February 2023.
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France
The Initiative Emploi is a cooperative based in Haut-de-Seine, France. Since its creation in 1987, Initiative Emploi has worked towards ‘employment for all'. In its role as an economic and social player, Initiative Emploi creates ‘springboard’ jobs by offering practical and ethical services to its various partners and clients: companies, communities, associations and individuals.
It focuses on three sectors of platform work:
Initiative Emploi acts as employer to the workers, who are provided with fixed-term contracts. The workers are then supported in their professional undertakings and their way towards long-term employment (such as by accomplishing trainings and obtaining professional diplomas).
Initiative Emploi mobilises internal resources or resources implemented with its partners, in the service of training and support for people seeking employment. By supporting people towards sustainable employment, it contributes to the development of the region and to social cohesion within it.
Since January 2017, Initiative Emploi has taken up the challenge of achieving dual quality certification. The initiative meets the requirements of the ISO 9001: 2015 standard for ‘Employment and support through the production of goods and services in a solidarity-based approach according to the Cèdre version 3 standard ‘. Through this dual certification, the association shows its determination and its application in the search for continuous improvement, both in supporting its employees towards sustainable employment and in the service offer intended for its economic partners.
The platform economy is one of those moving targets, which, despite receiving increasing media and policy attention, has proven difficult to regulate. Given the heterogeneity of employment relationships, business models, types of platform work and cross-border issues, this is not surprising.
Technological change is accelerating as the capacity of electronic devices to digitally store, process and communicate information expands. Digitalisation is transforming the EU economy and labour markets: nearly one-third of EU workplaces are categorised as highly digitalised. What are the implications of the digital revolution for employment and work?
The rapid rise of the platform economy has led to a marked transformation of European labour markets, and existing regulatory frameworks and voluntary initiatives have yet to catch up. While platform work offers opportunities for workers and employers and potentially contributes to innovation, economic growth and competitiveness in the EU, it has been criticised from the beginning because of the poor employment and working conditions often experienced by workers.
While 2020 may come to be seen as the year platform work gathered pace and started to go mainstream – thanks in large part to COVID-19 containment measures sparking an increase in food and grocery delivery – 2021 could be the year that regulation of platform work is set in motion.
