Redefining Worker Protection in the Algorithmic Era: From Algorithmic Justice to Insurance Systems for the Gig Economy.

The rapid expansion of the digital platform economy has introduced novel occupational hazards driven by algorithmic management. This short communication examines the occupational health challenges faced by gig workers in the context of algorithmic control, focusing on four key mechanisms: trade-offs between economic success and worker health, uncertainty in terms of effort and reward, unreliable assessment of job performance, and incorrect attribution of responsibility. These algorithmic hazards differ substantially from conventional occupational risks and cannot be adequately addressed by existing occupational health and safety frameworks. To address these inequities, we propose redefining occupational health and safety standards under an algorithmic justice framework. Furthermore, we suggest implementing an algorithm tax and an algorithm-dependent insurance system to establish sustainable social safety nets. These measures, along with mandatory disclosure of algorithmic management systems as 'High-Impact AI,' offer a practical regulatory pathway to enforce worker protection and fairness within the evolving legal landscape in the algorithmic era.