New Delhi: More than 57% of India’s platform-based gig workers work at least 49 hours a week, while nearly one-fourth of them – 23.4% – work more than 70 hours a week, according to a report by Janpahal and the Gig Workers Association (GigWA), highlighting how gig work is swiftly transforming into sustained, full-time labour without the benefits and protections of full-time employment.The report, titled ‘Occupational Safety and Health of Platform-based Gig Workers in India’, was released on September 3 at the Constitution Club of India in Delhi. It surveyed 1,000 platform workers across 10 cities. A large proportion of workers reported that their working hours regularly exceed the government-prescribed 48-hour weekly limit under the Factories Act, 1948, as well as the newer labour code framework.The report highlighted how the gaps in labour protection leaves many gig workers without any occupational protection or support, with many of them reporting lack of basic workplace facilities like drinking water, clean toilets and rest areas. The study was conducted by a research team comprising Josika Mahindru, Muhammed Mukhtar Alam and Nitesh Kumar Das. The members surveyed platform-based gig workers across Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Bhopal, Agra, Lucknow, Jaipur and Patna to document their everyday experiences with particular attention to the effect of extreme weather and heat on their productivity and well-being. “Platform workers are increasingly exposed to intersecting risks, including traffic hazards, violence, health strain, inadequateinfrastructure, and climate extremes, without a comprehensive regulatory framework that recognises public space as a workplace and prioritises prevention,” the report states.Of the respondents, about 38.4% said they have been working for more than two years with app-based platforms, and 18.4% of workers reported to be working for over five years. Of them, 8% were in household and personal care, 15.6% in e-commerce, 36.5% in ride hailing and 39.9% in food and grocery delivery. There were more men than women.Extreme conditionsMany gig workers reported that they suffer from work-related health issues, particularly due to the long working hours and lack of access to basic workplace facilities like drinking water, clean toilets and rest areas. At 64.5%, fatigue and sleep disruption were the biggest concerns, raising the need for conversation around overtime work, especially given the physically demanding nature of the work. This was followed by 47.42% workers reporting musculoskeletal pain, likely linked to prolonged riding, sitting or carrying loads; 41.08% reporting stress and anxiety; 30% eye strain; and 26.45% reporting respiratory issues. Work-related health issues experienced by platform workers. Source: Janpahal and GigWAWith extreme weather conditions and heat exposure, gig workers often bear the brunt of an occupational safety crisis, causing severe overheating, skin irritation and dehydration, among other issues. Also read: Gig Workers in India Face Risks From Extreme Weather, Accidents, Most Don’t Have Health Insurance: ReportMoreover, 43.9% reported that they have to rely on paid public toilets, while 53.8% of the respondents said they had to purchase drinking water out of pocket. Access to and type of toilet used while working. Source: Janpahal and GigWAAccess to and type of drinking water facilities available during working hours. Source: Janpahal and GigWAAccess to rest areas was so limited that 74.6% reported its complete absence, and 66.2% said they are “rarely or never able to take breaks” during working hours.Frequency of breaks taken during working hours. Source: Janpahal and GigWADespite these glaring issues, workers also feel that platforms do not provide them any access to health-related policies or guidance, with 68.4% reporting no support at all, leaving the responsibility for managing occupational health concerns to the individuals.Unsafe roads and exposure to violenceOne of the biggest concerns was the lack of road safety. Two-thirds of the respondents (66.4%) reported they use two-wheelers as their primary mode of transport for work. However, poor road infrastructure, traffic congestion, and weak enforcement of road safety norms increase the risk of accidents.Of the respondents, 62.2% reported that they have encountered near-miss safety incidents with their vehicle, while about 38% have suffered injuries due to poor road conditions and 27% of workers have reported traffic-related accidents.Additionally, 34.1% gig workers also reported that they have either personally experienced harassment, abuse or violence while working, while 26.6% others have witnessed it happening to their co-workers. Experienced Harassment, Abuse or Violence While working. Source: Janpahal and GigWANo training, no insuranceAs high as 59% of workers said they did not receive any safety training at all, while 56.8% said they were not confident that their platform provided effective channels for reporting safety concerns and for taking follow-up action. “These findings suggest that responsibility for managing occupational risk is largely individualised, with limited institutional support from platforms or effective linkage to social security mechanisms,” the report stated.Despite such high exposure to safety risks, gig workers also do not receive basic insurance coverage. More than 62% of workers said they do not have health insurance and 44.2% reported not having accident insurance. Even for those who have an insurance, many reported difficulties in accessing benefits.Access to and ease of claiming accident insurance. Source: Janpahal and GigWAMajid Ali, a food delivery worker from Ghaziabad, was among the workers at the panel discussion in Delhi. Sharing his experience at Zomato, he said he has seen many workers getting in an accident while trying to deliver orders ‘on time’. With no health insurance, he said, it becomes very difficult to fund treatments, especially at private hospitals. They have to rely on government hospitals.Ali urged that medical insurance should be provided to all workers, making it easier for them to avail treatment in adverse cases.Equal opportunity on paper but not in practiceSeema Kaur, also a food-delivery worker based in Delhi who has been working with Zomato for a year, uses a wheelchair. Considering her disability, her contract mentioned that for every delivery she would get incentives, and all deliveries will range within 3-4 km.When she gets assigned for a delivery, usually the restaurant calls to inform customers that their order would be delivered by a person with disability so they can decide if they want it transferred to other workers. Oftentimes, she said, the orders get transferred to others while she loses out on working hours, phone battery and incentives. She told the panel that sometimes she has to wait for up to two hours to receive an order. Other times she gets long-range orders despite her contract terms. The platform also has no provision for her to find a place to rest during extreme weather conditions, which made her working conditions difficult, she said.She demanded that there should be equal opportunity for every worker.Also read: Gig Workers Are Exploited Across India; Minimum National Protections Could Ease Their BurdenSeema is not only a PwD worker, but also among only 10.5% of the women respondents nationwide. Women gig workers were predominantly concentrated in care-oriented segments, particularly household and personal care and food and grocery delivery, whereas men were more strongly represented in ride-hailing, delivery and e-commerce platforms. This suggested a clear pattern of gender-based occupational segmentation within the platform economy. The lack of a safety net around the working conditions worsens this segregation.The report calls for urgent reforms in gig work that ensure safety and dignified working conditions for the workers. It suggests policymakers to recommend legal recognition with enforceable rights that implements occupational safety and health standards for workers. For the app-based platforms, it further urges algorithmic accountability, safety-first performance systems, mandatory safety training and human-centred grievance redressal systems, as well as providing health insurance and building consumer responsibility for workers.Tamanna Kaul is an editorial intern at The Wire.