Research Projects

Abstract 

The development of information and communication technology (ICT) has profoundly impacted the workplace. Advances in ICT may benefit workers, but they may also bring harm. The directions of these influences are ambivalent, largely depending on how the affected groups exert control over the technology and how social policies respond to the changes brought about by the new technology. Among many changes, telework and platform work are eminent phenomena. Telework and web-based platform work are different in typology. Still, they share some similarities, including the heavy reliance on ICT and the internet, a high degree of flexibility in work locations and working times, job autonomy, and the possibility to be digitally monitored. Furthermore, both work types have grown substantially after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

This research aims to study the psychosocial work conditions and occupational safety and health risks among workers engaging in telework and web-based platform work. For telework, we will explore teleworkers' work and health experiences in selected work sectors, in which teleworking is more commonly adopted, including media, communication, entertainment, publishing, finance, and insurance. For platform work, we will focus on web-based platform work. Both teleworkers and web-based platform workers will be invited for interviews, and information regarding their employment status, psychosocial work conditions, and occupational safety and health risks will be obtained. In addition, through expert interviews, we will explore how ICT is applied for surveillance of workers' work activities and health. Following that, a web-based questionnaire survey will be conducted to examine the associations of workplace management, psychosocial work conditions with workers' safety and health status, as well as their job satisfaction. Similarities and differences between teleworkers and web-based platform workers will be examined.