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The Protection of Crowdworkers Under German Law

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New Forms of Employment

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Abstract

Digital transformation has enabled the labour market to introduce multiple new forms of employment with crowdwork being one of the most prominent ones within the legal discourse. Based on the idea of connecting demand and supply of certain services with the help of online platforms, new business models emerge almost on a daily basis. While these business models come with the promise of flexibility in terms of working hours and places, it cannot go unnoticed that the existing working conditions for crowdworkers on many platforms give rise to calls for legislation. This chapter’s aim is to analyse the scope of protection crowdworkers benefit from under German Labour Law and to provide suggestions for further protection where it is necessary.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Jeff Howe therefore described the uprising phenomenon in 2006 as ‘crowdsourcing’, p. 1.

  2. 2.

    Pacha (2018, p. 103).

  3. 3.

    Prassl and Risak (2017, p. 71); Pacha (2018, p. 41).

  4. 4.

    However, there are hybrid forms to be observed where platforms are open to employees and third-party contractors, usually in order to increase the manpower of the crowd which would otherwise be limited to the enterprise’s own personal capacities, Waas (2017a, p. 14).

  5. 5.

    Howcroft and Bergvall-Kareborn (2018, p. 3).

  6. 6.

    Pacha (2018, p. 36).

  7. 7.

    However, there are first studies that try to categorize crowdwork platform by similarities and distinctions, cf. Kaganer et al. (2013, p. 25 ff.); Howcroft and Bergvall-Kareborn (2018, p. 5 ff.).

  8. 8.

    Risak (2015, p. 12); Däubler and Klebe (2015, p. 1035).

  9. 9.

    Pacha (2018, p. 36 ff.).

  10. 10.

    Risak (2015, p. 13 f.).

  11. 11.

    Liebman (2017, p. 225).

  12. 12.

    Pacha (2018, p. 54).

  13. 13.

    Waas (2017a, p. 17 f.).

  14. 14.

    Pacha (2018, p. 83).

  15. 15.

    Pacha (2018, p. 84).

  16. 16.

    Waas (2017a, p. 18); Pacha (2018, p. 90).

  17. 17.

    Pacha (2018, p. 91).

  18. 18.

    Waas (2017a, p. 19).

  19. 19.

    Waas (2017a, p. 19).

  20. 20.

    First empirical analyses that have been published recently lead to the conclusion that on microtask platforms, crowdworkers earn between 2 to 5 euros per hour, cf. Leimeister et al. (2016, p. 43 ff.).

  21. 21.

    However, some trade unions like the IG-Metall have begun to offer counselling services for crowdworkers as a first step of further integration.

  22. 22.

    Pacha (2018, p. 93).

  23. 23.

    Deinert (2018, p. 365).

  24. 24.

    Cf. BAG NZA 1992, 407; 1998, 595; 1998, 1275.

  25. 25.

    Waas (2017b, p. 143), referring to the terms of use of clickworker.

  26. 26.

    Cf. BGH NJW 2017, 1660, 1661 on the topic of eBay’s terms of use.

  27. 27.

    Prassl and Risak (2016, p. 619); Däubler (2016, p. 34).

  28. 28.

    Prassl and Risak (2016, p. 621).

  29. 29.

    Cf. LAG Hessen, BeckRS 2016, 65115 for a programmer working in home-office.

  30. 30.

    Pacha (2018, p. 164).

  31. 31.

    Cf. BAG NZA 2016, 1453, 1455; NZA-RR 2016, 344, 346 f.

  32. 32.

    Waas (2017b, p. 151 f.).

  33. 33.

    Waas (2017b, p. 153).

  34. 34.

    Preis (2019, p. 1385).

  35. 35.

    Pacha (2018, p. 182 f.).

  36. 36.

    Waas (2017b, p. 155 f.).

  37. 37.

    Waas (2017b, p. 154).

  38. 38.

    Waas (2017b, p. 154).

  39. 39.

    BAG NZA 2017, 244; Preis (2019, p. 1396).

  40. 40.

    BAG NZA 1991, 267, 269; Däubler and Klebe (2015, p. 1036); Deinert (2018, p. 363); Heuschmidt and Klebe (2016, p. 79).

  41. 41.

    Bayreuther (2018, p. 20 f.).

  42. 42.

    BAG NZA 2016, 1453, 1457.

  43. 43.

    Bayreuther (2018, p. 20).

  44. 44.

    Bayreuther (2018, p. 21).

  45. 45.

    BAG NZA 2016, 1453, 1457.

  46. 46.

    Franzen (2019, p. 2801).

  47. 47.

    Bayreuther (2018, p. 26); Däubler and Klebe (2015, p. 1036).

  48. 48.

    Waas (2017b, p. 162).

  49. 49.

    Riechert and Nimmerjahn (2017, p. 34 ff.).

  50. 50.

    Riechert and Nimmerjahn (2017, p. 39 f.).

  51. 51.

    Oetker (2019, p. 2146).

  52. 52.

    Cf. Risak (2015, p. 13), warning that platform reputation often might be not transferable due to competition between crowdwork platforms within the same market segment.

  53. 53.

    Even though Section 630 of the German Civil Code provides independent contractors with the right to demand a job reference too, it explicitly forbids the job reference to be in electronical form.

  54. 54.

    Däubler (2016, p. 43).

  55. 55.

    Cf. Pacha (2018, p. 345 ff.); Deinert (2018, p. 364 ff.).

  56. 56.

    Deinert (2018, p. 359).

  57. 57.

    Heuschmidt and Klebe (2016, p. 78).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Professor, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Reinhard Singer

  2. Research Assistant, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Stephan Klawitter

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Correspondence to Reinhard Singer .

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  1. Polish Academy of Sciences, Warszawa, Poland

    Jerzy Wratny

  2. University of Rzeszow, Rzeszów, Poland

    Agata Ludera-Ruszel

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Singer, R., Klawitter, S. (2020). The Protection of Crowdworkers Under German Law. In: Wratny, J., Ludera-Ruszel, A. (eds) New Forms of Employment. Prekarisierung und soziale Entkopplung – transdisziplinäre Studien. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-28511-1_6

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