Young Workers on Digital Platform Work: A Review of Rights and Protection in Malaysia

The rise of digital labour platforms has been among the most significant changes in the world of work, a change that has transformed the global employment landscape. Digital platform work refers to work on web-based platforms and location-based apps. Although characterised by greater volatility and uncertainty, it is agreed that digital platform work is an attractive alternative to unemployment and offers flexibility to people in generating income. This current trend has certainly attracted, predominantly, young people. The growing population of young people, along with digital labour platforms that are expected to stay permanently have created both opportunities and challenges for the traditional workforce. Their employment status is often ambiguous. Workplace protections and entitlements are entirely denied. The objectives of this study are two-fold, firstly to review the rights and protection for young workers working on digital platforms and secondly, to make recommendations to improve the rights and protection for young workers working on digital platforms. This is a socio-legal research where the qualitative method is employed by putting secondary sources through content analysis and the result is analysed through thematic analysis method. Findings show that the existing laws in Malaysia do not accommodate young workers in digital platform work. The findings of this study extend the discussion on labour law protections and support decent work and economic growth as aspired through the Sustainable Development Goals.