Working Anytime – When There’s Work: Platform Work and Life Satisfaction in Slovenia

The main characteristics of platform work, such as the independent execution of short, mostly singular, independently monetized tasks, where an online platform acts as an intermediary between the service provider and the client, classify such work as a popular modern work type. While current research emphasizes risk factors, the findings are inconclusive due to the lack of scientific work in this field. In the article, we research how the recognized challenges of platform work are experienced among workers and how that links to feelings of contentment with life, which is a crucial contributor to personal well-being. A total of 37 partici­pants completed an online questionnaire, allowing us to obtain quantitative and qualitative data. The platforms included are Fiverr, Upwork, Wolt, Glovo, On­lyFans and Babysits. The participants vary by the other main activities present in their lives: platform work represents the main source of income to some and additional income to others, some work another job alongside it and some attend school. The results of linking the challenges of such work to feelings of life satisfac­tion are uncharacteristic and unremarkable, though the significance increases in answers to open questions. Unpredictable and irregular income is emphasized, as well as schedule adaptability. The results vary by platform, source of income and the presence of other work-educational activities. The findings offer an insight into how experiencing work characteristics connects to feelings of life satisfaction, and consequently make it possible to draw conclusions with regard to other, simi­lar psychological factors. The article outlines the importance of research into such work and the active involvement of psychology to safeguard and ensure a sense of well-being in workers, especially those for whom platform work represents their main source of income, as they are most vulnerable.