Thanks to new European Union (EU) legislation, those who perform on-demand work through an app or website, such as DoorDash or Uber, will enjoy better working conditions. PhD student Zachary Kilhoffer, who spent four years working as a researcher for the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels prior to entering the iSchool's doctoral program, authored or co-authored several policy research pieces that informed the creation of the EU Platform Work Directive.
According to Kilhoffer, the legislation came about because the EU wanted to ensure that U.S. and international gig work (often called "platform work" in the EU) companies follow the EU's higher labor standards.
"Gig workers get the short end of the stick in many ways—inconsistent pay, shouldering risks rather than an employer, incentives to deliver too fast and risk injury, etc.," he said. "Fixing this could be done many ways, but one really good way is recognizing many gig workers as employees, so they receive proper benefits, such as insurance, paid injury leave, and minimum wage."
The new legislation also involves the transparency and fairness of algorithms/AI processes used by gig work companies. Algorithms are used by companies to determine how much a worker earns for a task, which tasks will or won't be offered to the worker, automated fraud detection (that often works poorly), and more. The law ensures that automated systems are monitored by qualified staff and that workers have the right to contest automated decisions. In addition, gig workers will be presumed to be employees until proven otherwise, reversing the burden of proof so that they can benefit from any labor rights to which they are entitled.
One of the papers that Kilhoffer authored, "Study to gather evidence on the working conditions of platform workers," was not only influential in the bill's creation, but is among his most cited works. Kilhoffer led the study, which he described as a "huge, complex research project." It involved all (at the time) 28 EU member states plus Iceland and Norway, and mapped socioeconomic issues, legal issues, and workers' experiences.
Kilhoffer holds an MA in international relations from Webster University Vienna and a BA in international relations from McKendree University. He is interested in how new and emerging technologies are regulated to ensure privacy and security, transparency and accountability, and fairness and ethics. He focuses on AI governance—especially concerning risk, compliance, and standardization.