The ‘gig economy’ is growing, with considerable contingent of on-demand workers (e.g., drivers and riders) providing services via digital platforms across Australia. However, an understanding of the risks associated with the on-demand work and the factors that contribute to gig worker safety remains limited.
The Gig economy Reporting of Incidents Tool (GigReports) is developed as a free mobile app, that provides gig economy workers with a simple and quick way of reporting road safety incidents (e.g., crashes and near misses), personal safety incidents, and theft they experience while gig working. Gig workers can also report important information about the incidents (e.g., time and location, incident description) and the factors that contributed to the incidents.
Information gathered in GigReports is analysed and used to identify trends in incidents and incident causation, and to inform the development of strategies designed to enhance gig worker safety. GigReports also presents a summary of the incidents reported to its users, allowing gig workers to understand the hazards they face when gig working. For more information, please read our Research Project Information Sheet.
GigReports is funded through the Road Safety Innovation Fund, a scheme by the Australian Government that supports road safety research and the development of new, innovative road safety technologies and products. GigReports was developed by the Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems at the University of the Sunshine Coast in collaboration with Bizsoft Consulting.
The GigReports app is free to download from the Apple and Google Play app stores now.
The first 100 participants who register for GigReports before 30 April 2023 (now extended to 31 May 2023) and use the app to report how many kilometres they travelled doing gig work over 2 consecutive weeks will receive $50.
In addition to incident reporting through the app, being part of the GigReports community will give you access to regular surveys about your gig work experiences and your use of the GigReports app with prize draws up to $100
Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems 