‘Trapped in Reviews’: The role of ratings and response times in shaping work allocation and time management among platform freelancers

Research debates on the future of work, and platform work in particular, have pointed to the role of digital technologies in intensifying pressures on platform workers to achieve positive client ratings in order to maintain a steady flow of work opportunities. And while it is recognized that the offer of local ‘gigs' to platform riders and drivers often hinges on high acceptance rates and favourable reviews, this chapter reveals that these mechanisms of work allocation are increasingly prevalent among highly specialized and skilled freelancers working on global platforms. We show that building and maintaining a positive ‘digital reputation’ requires significant unpaid labour on the part of freelancers, who face long periods of unpaid standby time between gigs, and are incentivized to ‘overwork and undercharge' in order to secure five star reviews from clients. We argue that workers who choose freelancing in order to escape the rigidities of traditional work regimes may find themselves trapped by the ‘always on’ demands of platforms (particularly those that operate across time zones), and the specific ‘sunk costs’ associated with building up positive ratings on a single platform. A greater emphasis on qualitative testimonials rather than simplistic ‘star ratings’ would enhance the individual bargaining power and mobility of freelancer workers (within and across platforms). Similarly, more transparency around platform work allocation algorithms (beyond just charge rates and response times), and stronger sanctions for rogue clients would help freelancers better discriminate between ‘good and bad gigs’.