Online Platforms and Platform Work Slovakia Legally binding definition of online platforms Specific register of online platforms Specific regulation applicable to online platforms Online platforms are considered to be employers Under the Income Tax Act- 595/2003 digital platforms are defined as hardware platforms or software platforms necessary to create and maintain applications through which transport and accommodation platforms offer their services. 3.1% Platform workers account for 3.1% of the working population in Slovakia. Most platform work in Slovakia is performed as a secondary job and source of income. 12h /week Workers in the transport and food-delivery sectors tend to be young males living and working in urban areas. Childcare, elderly care and household work are also performed by platforms, however; the workers are often women that have retired from their standard jobs upon reaching retirement age in order to earn additional income on top of their old age pension. In 2017, Uber representatives reported that more than 40% of Uber drivers worked less than 10 hours per week. Similarly, Bolt reported in 2018 that only 20% of their drivers work full-time; while the average working time for the platform is 12 hours per week. The Slovak market is dominated by international platforms such as Uber, Bolt, BlaBlaCar and Liftago in the transportation sector, Bolt and Wolt in the food-delivery business and Jaspravim.sk, Taskit.sk, Mikropraca.eu, Microjob.sk in microwork and domestic services. Domelia.sk is the most wellknown and largest national platform for personal and household services. The platform has been active in Slovakia since 2009, offering elderly care, care for persons with disabilities, childcare, private tutoring and cleaning services. The platform has more than 21,600 customers registered with it.

Public and expert discourse relating to the platform economy is focused on basic legal arrangements from the point of view of the customer and platform operation and have not addressed the employment status and working conditions of platform workers. Trade union activity on behalf of platform workers in Slovakia is marginal. Upon the suspension of Uber transportation services in 2018, Uber joined the Republic’s Employers’ Union(Republiková únia zamestnávateľov Slovens kej Republiky, RÚZ SR). RÚZ SR is one of the four peak employers’ associations with a mandate to represent employers in a national tripartite social dialogue. Perceived from this angle, Uber may technically be viewed as an employer. Trade unions lack the capacity and strategy to represent workers who have non-standard employment status, including platform work. There are currently no trade union initiatives to bargain on behalf of platform workers. Slovakia has not had any specific court cases or suspected misclassifications of the employment status of platform workers to date. The Labour Court has limited competences in reviewing the employment status of platform workers, with these competences being strictly related to the definition of dependent employment contained in the Slovak Labour Code. FES Competence Centre on the Future of Work – January, 2023 Background research conducted by Dr Marta Kahancová, Central European Labour Studies Institute Graphic Design: Galadriel GV