Salud Colectiva (Mar 2024)

Men working through mobile applications in Brazil: Reflections from occupational health

  • João Vitor Antunes Lins dos Santos,
  • Thais Janaína Wenczenovicz,
  • Adriana Remião Luzardo,
  • Jeferson Santos Araújo

DOI
https://doi.org/10.18294/sc.2024.4588
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 20

Abstract

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Work through mobile applications emerged as an alternative for many Brazilian men during the economic crisis and rising unemployment. However, these workers operate informally, without a formal employment relationship, leading to labor precariousness and a lack of workers’ rights. Using a theoretical-reflexive, this study analyzes the intersection between occupational health, the platformization of work, and the specific challenges faced by male delivery app workers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reflective categories are divided into two thematic sections: “Labor insertion through mobile applications in Brazil and the algorithmic work model” and “men, health, and motorcycles: occupational health and male behavior in app-based delivery work.” The study examines the expansion of this type of work in the Brazilian socio-economic context, the lack of security and labor protection for these workers, as well as the risks faced, particularly during the pandemic, within a male-centric culture.

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