<p>Within the context of labor market transformations driven by the digital economy, the protection of platform flexible employees’ rights has emerged as a critical issue requiring comprehensive analysis. While existing research predominantly focuses on the legal frameworks and institutional structures governing rights protection, there is a significant gap in understanding how perceived labor rights protection influences the job performance of platform flexible employees. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, this study develops a moderated mediation model to examine the impact of perceived labor rights protection on the job performance of platform flexible employees. It also explores the mediating role of career resilience and the moderating effect of person–environment fit in this relationship. We conducted an empirical analysis using a sample of 521 platform flexible employees in China. The results indicate that career resilience mediates the relationship between perceived labor rights protection and job performance, while person–environment fit moderates this mechanism. This research enriches the theoretical literature on platform flexible employees’ perceptions and job performance, extends the application of SDT to platform-based flexible employment, and offers new insights for enhancing the job performance of platform flexible employees.</p>