Can work allocation algorithms play fair?
Summary
Drivers for taxi operator Uber are self-employed contractors with no employment rights, but even so, Bloodworth thought working this way might be an improvement on his previous experiences, giving him control over when he drove and leaving time to write a book. Allocating work by algorithm is not an inherently bad idea, according to James Farrar, chair of United Private Hire Drivers, a branch of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain , who has co-led legal action against Uber for drivers’ rights. Many drivers working for conventional minicab companies pay a fee for the privilege (Uber takes a percentage, typically 20-25%), only to see controllers giving the best jobs to their friends, ordering them to collect their takeaway food and even demanding bribes. For the latter, the system checks a receiving worker is happy to accept a transferred shift and lets employers set rules, to ensure that the right skills are available and even to stop named individuals working together. Hilfr, a Danish company that helps people find home cleaners, has similarly decided on a collective agreement with trade union 3F, which covers holidays, sick pay and pension contributions for those who complete 100 hours of work through the platform.