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Digital platform work continues to grow across Europe, increasingly raising questions about social protection for platform workers and the financing of social security systems. The new study “Social Law 4.0: Update” by the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy now presents innovative proposals to close gaps in social security.
Already the Institute's previous book “Social Law 4.0”, published in 2021, provided an overview of new social law approaches to securing and financing social protection for atypical workers in the digital world of work. Four years on, in which the challenges and practical difficulties have only become even more apparent, the follow-up study takes stock: Have the solutions developed at the time proven themselves? What new developments and changes have there been in social law with regard to platform work? In addition, the publication “Social Law 4.0: Update” presents innovative approaches to improving the social protection of platform workers in various European countries. In this context, the authors also discuss the latest developments at the EU level to improve working conditions in platform work, coordinate social security systems, and tax the platform economy.
The study makes it clear that, despite some reforms, social protection remains linked to regular employment relationships. Although the problem of inadequate social protection in new forms of work is widely recognized, there are still significant gaps in effective access to social protection for self-employed persons and persons in atypical employment relationships. At the same time, some country reports show that the challenges arising from new employment patterns and forms (irregular work and income, switching between different forms of employment, multiple jobs) have been recognized and that innovative structural approaches exist. Various proposals aim to harmonize social security systems for workers and the self-employed and to allow income from dependent and self-employed work to be combined.
In order to improve the situation of platform workers, the new study proposes the following measures:
1. Abolishment of incentives such as exemptions from social security contributions and taxes, which promote casual work and contribute to the spread of atypical self-employment.
2. Adapt social security systems to flexible work: Regulations should reflect the reality of workers’ lives and their individual preferences for more flexible work. Providing access for the atypical self-employed requires an understanding of the sometimes non-linear character of their activities and income development, and of their wish for easier registration in the system as well as simplified calculation of social security contributions and taxes.
3. Private arrangements by platform providers and private insurers should be monitored. In particular, the same rules and definitions of ‘work’ (as insured activity, including paid breaks and interruptions of work) and ‘commuting’ as in the social security insurance should be applied to prevent abuse of working time regulations to the detriment of platform workers. This measure will in particular help to reduce unpaid and unrecorded working hours, which are a key problem in platform work.
4. Digital labour platforms should contribute to the financing of social protection, either through social security contributions or, alternatively, taxes or tax-like payments.
5. Digital technologies should be used to improve access to and funding of social protection.
6. Closer cooperation between labour, tax and social security authorities at national and European levels is essential to facilitate the identification of potential payers of social contributions, combat social fraud, and ensure contribution compliance.
Becker, Ulrich/Chesalina, Olga (eds.): Social Law 4.0: Update - Innovative Approaches to Ensuring and Financing Social Protection for Platform Workers in Europe, Studien aus dem Max-Planck-Institut für Sozialrecht und Sozialpolitik, Baden-Baden: Nomos, 2025.
https://www.nomos-elibrary.de/de/10.5771/9783748960584/social-law-4-0-update?pag... New publication as open access book
https://www.nomos-elibrary.de/de/10.5771/9783748912002/social-law-4-0 Link to the previous study
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