Working conditions of food delivery couriers for digital platforms are damaging to their health

The rise of digital platforms

Since the 2010s, digital service platforms have grown significantly in France, with an increasing number of consumers using these interfaces to order goods or services, including food delivery. As a result, the number of workers associated with these platforms has increased to meet this demand, and most of the time they have self-employed status. At European level, measures have been taken to improve the working conditions of delivery couriers for digital platforms. For example, European Directive (EU) 2024/2831, adopted on 11 November 2024, will soon be transposed into French law. In this context, ANSES has assessed the health risks for food delivery couriers working for digital platforms. The Agency noted that the specific organisation of the sector and the self-employed status of these workers make it complicated to monitor their working conditions. Based on the data collected and its analyses, the Agency concludes that there are short-, medium- and long-term effects on the physical and mental health of people who deliver food for digital platforms.

Several risk factors identified, including algorithmic management

To identify the health risks for food delivery couriers, ANSES developed an innovative approach aimed at studying the impact of risk factors associated with the business model of platforms, their forms of work organisation, the regulatory environment, the status of these workers, and the delivery activity itself.

The algorithmic management implemented by platforms is one of the main risk factors. It uses artificial intelligence to assign tasks to workers, with the aim of optimising the platform's economic performance. This management system operates without any direct human interaction, thus eliminating any possibility of discussion between the worker and the platform. Automated processes managed by algorithms, such as the rating of services by consumers, changes in remuneration methods, the rules for assigning orders and the sanctions imposed on delivery couriers, generate a working arrangement that is hazardous to their health.

Moreover, engaging in intense physical activity when biking in an urban environment exposes workers to multiple risk factors. These include road traffic, often in environments ill-suited to bikes, as well as weather conditions (rain, wind, heat, etc.) and the pollution observed in these areas (air pollution, noise, etc.). Lastly, due to their predominantly self-employed status, often unstable and low incomes and possible social isolation, ANSES emphasises that these workers do not benefit from an adequate risk prevention policy or sufficient social protection.

Cumulative short-, medium- and long-term effects on the health of delivery couriers

All these organisational and environmental conditions have effects on the health of workers:

• Short-term effects: trauma from road accidents or falls during delivery, as well as musculoskeletal disorders caused by poor ‘human-bicycle’ ergonomics;
• Medium-term effects: damage to mental health (stress, fatigue, exhaustion) related to the constant pressure of notifications, isolation and the absence of stable work relationships;
• Long-term effects: sleep disorders and metabolic, respiratory or cardiovascular diseases caused by atypical working hours and the working environment (urban pollution, noise, etc.).

The regulations should be adapted to improve the health and safety of delivery couriers

In light of all the observed effects on the health of platform-mediated food delivery couriers, ANSES recommends:

• making it mandatory to apply the provisions of the French Labour Code guaranteeing that they benefit from health and safety protection equivalent to that provided to employees;
• ensuring that all the points identified in its expert appraisal are taken into account when transposing European Directive (EU) 2024/2831 on platform workers into French law;
• making the collection and reporting of statistical data on the health of platform-mediated delivery couriers mandatory, in order to continue documenting the health effects of this form of work.

In addition to the delivery activities studied in this expert appraisal, ANSES points out that its conclusions on the health effects of algorithmic management should also be taken into account for other forms of platform work.