Study on Employee Well-being in the Digital Gig Economy: Challenges, Opportunities, and Emerging Perspectives

Nirmala S; Lekshmy S.N; Iti Verma; Nalina M; Ranjitha P. K

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i04.85557

Study on Employee Well-being in the Digital Gig Economy: Challenges, Opportunities, and Emerging Perspectives

Author(s)	Ms. Nirmala S, Dr. Lekshmy S.N, Dr. Iti Verma, Ms. Nalina M, Dr. Ranjitha P. K
Country	India
Abstract	The rise of digital gig economy is reshaping a conventional job by providing flexible and technology-driven opportunities to work through digital platforms like Uber, Swiggy, Zomato, Up work, Fiverr, etc. These platforms have created more employment, income generation and flexibility in working arrangements, but also created a number of issues around the wellbeing of their employees, such as precarious working conditions, irregular incomes, algorithmic control, lack of social protection, work related stress and concerns about occupational health. Although there is a growing literature on platform work, few studies have focused on creating a comprehensive conceptualization of employee wellness in the digital gig economy. In response to this, this study offers a thorough conceptual framework that explores the challenges, opportunities and new perspectives that are impacting employee wellbeing in digitally mediated workplaces. The study is conceptual research designed after the extensive literature review and synthesis of the literature from the relevant peer-reviewed journals, international reports, and policy documents related to the gig economy, digital labor platforms, human resource management, occupational psychology, and sustainable employment. Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) Model, Self-Determination Theory (SDT), Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory and Sustainable Human Resource Management (Sustainable HRM), the paper examines the characteristics of digital platforms and their impact on several aspects of employee well-being: physical, psychological, financial, social and occupational well-being. While opportunities in the digital gig economy include flexibility of working conditions, autonomy, entrepreneurship, access to work in different countries, and continuous learning, this framework has also identified a number of issues that can arise from algorithmic control, income volatility, no promotion, insufficient labor protection, and work-life imbalance. The authors maintain that employee well-being is a key leveraging mechanism to advance digital platform work in relation to sustainable workforce development and the future of work. Moreover, new issues like Responsible Artificial Intelligence, Ethical Platform Governance, Digital Labor Rights, Inclusive Employment Policies, and ESG oriented Workforce Practices are recognized as key to the long-term sustainability of the Gig Economy. The conceptual paper fills a gap in the existing literature by introducing a framework that merges technological, organizational, psychological and sustainability perspectives to better understand employee well-being in the digital gig economy. It offers invaluable information to researchers, platform organizers, HR professionals and policy makers interested in designing policies that are flexible in the labor market while protecting employee health and ensuring sustainable jobs. Finally, the study offers some ideas for future research and provides an invitation for empirical validation of the suggested framework in various industry and location contexts. Digital Gig Economy, Employee Well-being, Platform-Based employment, Sustainable Workforce Development, Future of Work, Job Demands–Resources Model, Sustainable Human Resource Management, Digital Labor Platforms, Algorithmic Management, Workforce Sustainability.
Keywords	Digital Gig Economy; Employee Well-being; Platform-Based Employment; Algorithmic Management; Sustainable Human Resource Management; Workforce Sustainability
Field	Sociology > Economics
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On	2026-08-12
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i04.85557

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Study on Employee Well-being in the Digital Gig Economy: Challenges, Opportunities, and Emerging Perspectives

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