Working conditions in web-based digital labor platforms: A qualitative study on Bionluk in Turkey

Year 2025, Issue: 71, 109 - 119, 30.08.2025

Meryem Kaytan , Ekrem Erdoğan

https://doi.org/10.18070/erciyesiibd.1671187

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze the experiences of individuals working on Bionluk, one of the web-based digital labor platforms operating in Turkey, within the framework of their working conditions. As digital labor platforms increasingly occupy a significant place in labor markets, they have brought about profound transformations in employment structures. Understanding how workers experience key aspects such as job security, income stability, and autonomy on these platforms has become an important area of research. Although the effects of platform work on working conditions have been widely discussed in the literature, empirical studies focusing on local platforms like Bionluk within the Turkish context remain quite limited. Accordingly, this study adopts a qualitative research design and employs a phenomenological approach, conducting semi-structured interviews with eight platform workers. The data were analyzed through the themes of wages, working hours, occupational health and safety, social security, job security, autonomy, control, and customer evaluations. The findings reveal that although workers benefit from the flexibility offered by the platform, they also face significant challenges such as irregular income, asymmetrical relationships with clients, and a loss of autonomy due to platform regulations. By focusing on the experiences of web-based platform workers in Turkey, this study contributes to the broader debates on platform economy and digital labor. The results provide valuable insights for both policymakers and platform administrators aiming to improve working conditions in the digital labor market.

Keywords

Platform work , Digital labour platform , Working conditions , Bionluk , Turkey

Web tabanlı dijital emek platformlarında çalışma koşulları: Türkiye’de Bionluk üzerine nitel bir araştırma

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, Türkiye’de faaliyet gösteren web tabanlı dijital emek platformlarından biri olan Bionluk’ta çalışan bireylerin deneyimlerini, çalışma koşulları çerçevesinde analiz etmektir. Dijital emek platformlarının işgücü piyasasında giderek daha fazla yer edinmesi, çalışma biçimlerinde köklü dönüşümlere yol açmakta; bu platformlarda çalışan bireylerin iş güvencesi, gelir istikrarı ve özerklik gibi konularda nasıl deneyimler yaşadığı günümüzde önemli bir araştırma alanı hâline gelmektedir. Literatürde platform çalışmanın çalışma koşulları üzerindeki etkileri tartışılmakla birlikte, Türkiye bağlamında Bionluk gibi yerel platformlara yönelik ampirik çalışmalar oldukça sınırlıdır. Bu bağlamda, çalışma nitel araştırma yöntemi benimsenerek yürütülmüş; fenomenolojik yaklaşım doğrultusunda 8 platform çalışanı ile yarı yapılandırılmış mülakatlar gerçekleştirilmiştir. Veriler, ücret, çalışma süresi, iş sağlığı ve güvenliği, sosyal güvenlik, iş güvencesi, özerklik, kontrol ve müşteri değerlendirmeleri temaları çerçevesinde analiz edilmiştir. Bulgular, çalışanların esneklik avantajına sahip olmalarına rağmen düzensiz gelir, müşteri ile kurulan asimetrik ilişkiler ve platform kurallarına bağlı olarak özerklik kaybı gibi çeşitli zorlukla yaşadıklarını ortaya koymaktadır. Çalışma, Türkiye’deki web tabanlı platform çalışanlarının deneyimlerini ele alarak, platform ekonomisi ve emeği üzerine yapılan tartışmalara katkı sunmaktadır. Elde edilen sonuçlar hem politika yapıcılar hem de platform yöneticileri için çalışma koşullarını iyileştirmeye yönelik önemli ipuçları sağlamaktadır.

Keywords

Platform çalışma , Dijital emek platformları , Çalışma koşulları , Bionluk , Türkiye

Ethical Statement

Bu çalışma için etik kurul izni, Sakarya Üniversitesi Sosyal ve Beşeri Bilimler Etik Kurulu'nun 10.01.2025 tarihli ve 22 sayılı kararı ile alınmıştır.

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