Abstract
The gig economy represents a prominent form of digitally mediated work, where individuals obtain income by providing services and goods through online platforms and applications. While this model has contributed to economic dynamism and expanded income opportunities in many countries, it has simultaneously generated intense debate over the protection of workers’ entitlements, including social security, benefits, and stable earnings. Platform-based labour often falls outside traditional employment frameworks, creating a regulatory “grey zone” in which responsibilities between intermediaries and workers are unclear and the risk of rights violations increases. In response, several jurisdictions have begun to experiment with new legal instruments, case law developments, and policy guidelines aimed at clarifying employment status and strengthening safeguards for gig workers, thereby seeking a more sustainable balance between innovation and labour protection. In Vietnam, the swift expansion of the gig economy, notably within urban contexts, has outstripped the capacity of existing labour regulations to adapt, resulting in inadequate legal protection for platform-based workers. Through a comparative examination of selected foreign legal frameworks and judicial practices, this paper explores how different jurisdictions safeguard the rights of gig workers and recommends legal and policy reforms to enhance Vietnam’s recognition, regulation, and protection of workers in the gig economy.
Keywords: GIG economy, International, Rights of Workers, Suggestions, Vietnam.