Psychosocial Work Environment and Mental Wellbeing of Platform Workers : A Study of Food Delivery Workers in Helsinki, Finland

Abstract

Food delivery is the most visible type of platform work in Finland. It is still a new phenomenon which has not been widely studied. Its psychosocial work environment is poorly understood. Thus, this study bridges this knowledge gap by generating new scientific knowledge towards understanding its psychosocial work environment and how it associates with the mental wellbeing of its couriers in Helsinki. The aim of this study was to understand how food delivery platform workers in Helsinki perceive their psychosocial work environment in relation to their mental wellbeing at work. The findings of this study derive from twenty in-depth semi-structured interviews with food delivery platform workers in Helsinki. The collected data were analysed through inductive thematic analysis where the six steps of thematic analysis were rigorously followed. Accordingly, the findings ascertained that, while food delivery platform work provided labour market opportunities and income to its couriers, its psychosocial work environment was psychologically burdening, thus posing enormous challenges to occupational mental wellbeing of couriers.

Though these food delivery platforms portray themselves with notions of flexibility and autonomy to its couriers, this study found a divergent reality. Couriers were instead faced with high levels of precarity, high work intensity, longer working hours, poor work relationships and illusionary flexibility and autonomy. One platform applied high algorithmic control that monitored, evaluated and penalized couriers, which is contrary to the image they portray. Thus, couriers were short of flexibility and autonomy while collaborating with this platform. Also, the platform was not fully transparent to its couriers on their wages and incentives. These findings accentuate the occupational mental health of these couriers. Therefore, future research is recommended to rigorously examine the relationship between food delivery platform work and occupational mental health of its couriers. Food delivery platform work being relatively new in Finland, interventions and policies aiming to improve its psychosocial work environment are highly needed for a healthier work environment.