A Gendered Flexibility Regime in Platform Work

Flexibility in platform work is contested by both digital platforms and workers. This paper argues that workplace flexibility is a gendered outcome, with men and women enacting masculinities and femininities and fulfilling their family responsibilities. A growing body of literature has examined women’s experiences in the platform economy, particularly their participation and practices in gig work. However, a comparative analysis of men’s and women’s strategies in negotiating flexibility is missing. Drawing on interview data with food-delivery riders (33 men and 34 women) and home-cleaning workers (36 women) in China, this research reveals how platform management has created a nuanced framework of labor flexibility. Meanwhile, workers select scheduling and payment arrangements that may best fulfill their gender roles and responsibilities. Platforms redesign rules to accommodate and utilize workers’ gendered approaches to further enhance control and efficiency. The result is the formation of what we call a gendered flexibility regime, that is, a gendered contentious process in which platforms and workers contest flexibility. While this research highlights the agency of workers in reshaping flexibility, we are concerned about the power imbalance and the precarious working conditions facing both men and women.