Australia is at risk of being stratified economically if the 'gig economy' continues to grow, according to University of Technology Sydney future of work research director Sarah Kaine.

The 'gig economy' refers to the casual contracts and burgeoning workforce that digital platforms such as Uber, Deliveroo, Freelancer, AirTasker and Rideshare generate.

Users on AirTasker post tasks and other people bid to do that work, while on Rideshare passengers place a request for a lift and offer the driver a payment.

Today, an increasing number of people are earning a living working gigs rather than gaining full-time employment.

"But [it comes] at a cost to society," Dr Kaine said.

"You have employees who are entitled to the types of conditions that we have enjoyed for some decades, and then you'll have those others."

She said there was real concern about the lack of working conditions gig economy workers accepted.

Dr Kaine said Uber, for example, shifted the risk on to workers to buy the assets needed to undertake the job.

"Uber doesn't own cars, so the biggest transport operator doesn't own a single vehicle," she said.

"If you think of Airbnb as well, they don't own hotels.

"So the risk is shifted from those companies that are essentially linking users and workers to the worker themselves.

"The risk shifting, I think is one of the most serious causes for concern."

Freedom versus manipulation

Initially viewed as disruptive technology that worked to shake up existing industry and provide workers with flexibility, Dr Kaine said gig platforms were now being viewed with more scepticism in the workforce.

"Think about it as a society," she said.

"If we have a growing cohort of workers who aren't developing their own pool of superannuation because they're not employed, there will come a time when someone will have to assist those workers in retirement."

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She said the tax base could also be in danger, as workers would no longer fit into the scheme.

Dr Kaine said interviewing 60 workers from ridesharing and food delivery platforms for her latest research showed workers weighed up the costs and benefits of gig work.

"They enjoy some aspects, but they do [so] quite consciously, knowing that their choice is from a whole range of other low-paying jobs," she said.

"So it's not as if they feel like there are a whole lot of options that would allow them to have really good jobs and a career.

"They choose this in a particular part of the economy, and that's the low-paid part of the economy."

Post-casualisation of workforce

Dr Kaine said casualisation over the past 20 years had offered employers a level of flexibility.

Millennial Madeleine McKinlay says working for a gig platform would be a good second job, but she wouldn't rely on it to build a stable financial future. ( ABC Sunshine: Janel Shorthouse )

"I see the gig economy as the next step in post-casualisation of work; it's the next step in that direction," she said.

But there were broader impacts.

"Because gig workers take the work as independent contractors — whether it's a rideshare driver or a handyman, a dog walker or a care worker — they fall outside of existing labour law," Dr Kaine said.

"So they don't have minimum wage provisions and they don't have all of the other things that we associate with being an employee.

"It's a growth in a different academy of workers that we don't really cater for in our existing regulatory system."

Dr Kaine said responses collected suggested many gig workers were concerned about not accumulating superannuation.

Attempt to tackle issue

Dr Kaine said a recent agreement between Unions NSW and gig economy platform Airtasker to implement minimum working conditions for its service providers did not adequately improve issues for workers.

The gig workforce is changing the nature of employment in Australia. ( ABC News: Nic MacBean )

"Airtasker will have recommended rates for performing that work, [although] they're certainly not guaranteed and certainly not legislated," she said.

"I wouldn't want to be too negative about it, but on the downside, these aren't enforceable rates, they're suggested rates and there's no control over them.

"So it's just a question basically of letting the market decide what it is you pay people to do work."

Dr Kaine said if any gig platform was committed to improving working conditions, it should be monitoring users, hosts and consumers and "exclude those who refuse to offer at least the minimum standard".

Values in the workplace

IT businessman Steve from the Sunshine Coast recently tried out a gig platform to outsource some technology work.

He said he was surprised to only receive one bid from an Australian, with virtually all other respondents coming from Europe and Asia.

"What disturbed me at the time was that this was entirely about the number of people who were from overseas who were probably living in a lower cost economy, who would then be competing against Australians," he said.

He said Australians would have to reduce their rates and "just give up a portion of their normal income" to match the overseas bidders.

"We didn't go ahead [and] we're going to give the work to a local business," he said.

"I grew up in an economy where I had a full-time job from a very early age. I had annual leave loading. I had paid long service. That's gone."