The rules protecting the people who drive you home, deliver your groceries, or provide your childcare just changed in a significant way.
In June 2026, the International Labour Organization (ILO) adopted the Decent Work in the Platform Economy Convention, 2026 (No. 193) - the world's first global treaty specifically covering gig and platform workers. It extends labor rights protections to approximately 150-435 million people who earn their living through digital platforms, and it introduces a new requirement: companies must be transparent and accountable when algorithms are used to manage workers.
For companies conducting human rights due diligence, this matters more than it might first appear. The convention doesn't just add new topics to track — it reframes algorithmic management as a labor and human rights risk, not just a technology or operational one.
Let's break down:
- what the new ILO Convention actually covers
- what it means for your human rights due diligence process
- what companies will be expected to do in the longer term
What is the ILO Decent Work in the Platform Economy Convention?
The Decent Work in the Platform Economy Convention, 2026 (No. 193) is the first international treaty establishing labor rights protections for gig and platform workers worldwide. It covers workers who obtain work through apps and online platforms - including ride-hailing, deliveries, freelance work, and care services - and sets new rules for transparency when algorithmic management is used to allocate work, determine pay, or deactivate accounts.
What does the new ILO Convention actually cover?
For years, platform workers have occupied a legal grey zone. Many are classified as independent contractors, which has historically meant fewer protections than workers in the regular economy. The new convention aims to close that gap — and critically, its protections apply regardless of a worker's employment status.
Extending labor rights to platform workers
The convention introduces or strengthens protections across a broad range of topics:
- employment status and worker protection
- fair remuneration
- occupational safety and health
- social protection
- protection against unfair deactivation
- freedom of association and collective bargaining
Making algorithmic management a human rights issue
The second and arguably more novel part of the convention deals with algorithmic management - when digital platforms use automated systems to allocate work, evaluate performance, set pay, or suspend and deactivate workers.
Under the new rules, workers must be given access to documentation, a written explanation for algorithmic decisions, and a path to remedy when something goes wrong. The parallel to traditional employment situations is direct:
| Traditional labor rights risk | Platform equivalent |
|---|---|
| Supervisor unfairly allocates work | Algorithm allocates work unfairly |
| Manager discriminates | Ranking algorithm discriminates |
| Manager dismisses worker | Automated deactivation |
| Employer surveils workers excessively | Continuous app tracking |
This effectively brings AI governance into the labor rights space - and signals that an algorithm can create human rights impacts just as a human supervisor can.
What does this mean for your human rights due diligence?
For companies conducting human rights due diligence (HRDD) in line with the OECD 6-step method, the most significant implication is this: risks and impacts arising from platform-mediated work and algorithmic management are now recognized as labor and human rights risks, not just operational or technology risks.
The convention will most immediately affect the identify and assess steps of your HRDD process, since these topics may not have been included in previous risk identification rounds.
"The new rules are interesting because they expand what companies are expected to address within the human rights due diligence process. Human rights due diligence is expanding into the governance of digital work, AI-driven management, and worker data."
Ulrika Sandberg, Senior Sustainability Specialist, Worldfavor
Questions to include in your next HRDD round
If you want to start preparing, you can add the following questions to your supply chain risk screening:
Employment relationships
- Are workers being incorrectly classified as self-employed?
- Does the platform exercise control comparable to an employer?
Algorithmic management
- How are jobs allocated?
- How is pay determined?
Data and surveillance
- What worker data is collected?
- How is performance monitored?
Remediation
- What remediation systems are available for workers?
Based on your findings, you'll need to take action, track its effectiveness, and communicate what you've done.
What will companies be expected to do in the long run?
In the short term, the convention establishes an international norm. But if history is a guide, the trajectory will be familiar.
In the long term, the Decent Work in the Platform Economy Convention may do for algorithmic labor management what earlier ILO conventions did for occupational health and safety: moving from an international norm, to governments incorporating it into national law, to investors and customers expecting evidence of compliance, to due diligence and reporting frameworks making it a core topic.
Implications for CSRD and CSDDD reporting
With this recommended approach, tail suppliers flagged as high-risk aren't left there. They escalate into the mid-tier for deeper assessment. No supplier is permanently invisible, and the process stays relevant.
We expect the convention to influence future sustainability reporting requirements. Companies may be asked to disclose data on platform and app workers, worker classification approaches, and algorithmic management practices - potentially within both:
- the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), covering both their own workforce and workers in the value chain
- the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
The shift is broader than a single convention. It signals that human rights due diligence is expanding to include how companies govern digital work, AI-driven systems, and worker data. Companies that treat this as an operational or technology question - rather than a human rights one - risk being caught off guard as expectations catch up.
How do you get started?
You don't need to overhaul your entire HRDD process at once. Start by adding platform worker and algorithmic management questions to your next risk screening round.
Ask yourself: does your current due diligence process include gig and platform workers, and does it account for how algorithmic systems affect them? If the answer is no, or you're not sure, that's your starting point.
At Worldfavor, our sustainability specialists help companies navigate new and evolving due diligence topics — from identifying gaps in your current process to building a screening approach that keeps up with changing expectations.
Want to learn more? Talk to a Worldfavor expert today
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