Fairwork updates its Gig Work Principles for 2021

Effective from January 1st 2021, the new version (21.01) of the Fairwork Principles for gig work has been released. These changes do not affect any fieldwork that started in 2020, which will continue using the previous version (20.06) of the principles.

At Fairwork, we are constantly learning about the evolving challenges for gig workers in the different regions we operate. That’s why it’s important that our principles continue to reflect and be guided by gig workers’ experiences of unfairness across the platform economy. Within our five overarching principles of fair gig work, the Fairwork framework actively allows for minor revisions to be made on a yearly basis through an internal system of voting. 

After every round of rating, country teams are encouraged to propose potential updates to the principles based on their fieldwork experience. During our mid-year annual Fairwork symposium, any proposed changes are discussed and voted on. Changes to the wording of specific principles, like the ones here presented, require a ⅔ majority among all country teams. 

The new approved set of Fairwork principles for gig work include changes to the thresholds for Principles 2, 4, and 5 (Fair Conditions, Fair Management and Fair Representation).

Over the past year, the Fairwork project has evolved rapidly and now includes a network of leading experts in more than 20 countries. The changes to the principles here presented are the result of our increased understanding of the global gig economy, as we apply our framework to new contexts and platforms across the world.

Previous versions of our principles are also accessible on the following links: (Principles 20.06, Principles 19.06, Principles 18.06). Note that principle updates are labelled by the year and month of release (YY.MM). Our yearly reports, as well as the interactive ratings on our website, always include an indication of what version of the principles was used to calculate the scores.

If you have any questions about the principles, or about our internal framework to update them, you can contact us on this form or at info@fair.work