Germany

“The current Fairwork report for Germany again provides important insights into platform work in Germany and highlights the associated challenges – currently especially due to the increasing use of subcontractors.

The report also shows that good working conditions are possible in platform work. The EU directive on improving working conditions in platform work also pursues this goal. The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is currently drafting the proposal for the implementation of the directive into German law. The findings of this year’s report provide valuable assistance.”

“The tough realities of working life for workers in platform work are increasingly coming into the public spotlight. That is a good thing. This is due above all to the efforts of riders in the delivery sector, who are standing up against poor working conditions. As Berlin’s Senator for Labour, I stand with them. At the 2025 Conference of Labour and Social Affairs Ministers, Berlin secured a resolution calling for a legal  requirement for direct employment in the  delivery sector. The federal government must  now take the next step and introduce legislation.

The structural circumvention of labour law is still the norm in the platform economy. Thanks to careful research such as the Fairwork Report, we can show that this has not changed this year either. And rightly, the Fairwork Report 2026  therefore calls for an end to unfair and insecure
working conditions in the platform economy!”

“With the Germany Report 2026, the Fairwork  project presents its fourth report on the current state and working conditions in the German  platform economy. The WZB Berlin Social  Science Center is proud to be one of the project’s hosting institutions. The latest report highlights the need for ongoing monitoring and analysis of this sector as the situation has hardly improved in the year since the previous report was  published. Low wages, poor working conditions, opaque algorithmic management, and the  absence of structures for collective  representation continue to characterise large parts of platform work.

Recently, particular attention has been drawn to the issue of subcontracting: labour standards can be more easily undermined when workers are not employed directly by the platforms, but instead by intermediary companies. The new EU  Platform Work Directive and the proposed direct employment requirement for food delivery  services point to possible ways of shaping a fairer and more sustainable model. The Fairwork  project’s clear and transparent methodology establishes benchmarks against which the  fairness of digital platforms can be assessed. In doing so, it reflects the WZB’s commitment to making excellent research socially relevant.”

“Berlin wants to be a pioneer of fair work – especially with regard to new forms of work in the platform economy. The Berlin Senate, and in particular the Senate Department for Integration, Labour and Social Affairs, are committed to fair working conditions in this sector. That is why I very much welcome and support Fairwork’s efforts to make labour standards in the platform economy transparent and to contribute to their improvement. The Fairwork Report for Germany shows that working conditions do vary, but above all that there is still a lot to be done. Business models based on unfair and unsafe working conditions are ‘out’ and should be a thing of the past.”

“The WZB Berlin Social Science Center is proud to be the home of the Fairwork Secretariat. Because Fairwork stands for exactly what the WZB is all about: excellent research that contributes to improving our society. Fairwork understands how to raise awareness about fair working conditions among HR managers in the platform economy. Some platforms have already responded and are planning improvements. This creates momentum and pressure: more platforms will follow suit. And platform workers will demand their rights more strongly. We see: Platform work in itself doesn’t have to be bad, if co-determination and certain regulations are accepted.”