The new Convention was adopted at the 114^th Session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva on 12 June 2026. The Convention sets out global standards on issues such as working conditions, classification, health and safety, pay and algorithmic management for digital labour platforms and digital platform workers. National governments must now decide whether to ratify and implement the Convention into local law.

The adoption of the Convention is a significant moment for the sector. It represents the outcome of a series of developments within the ILO aimed at establishing a labour standard for platform work.

Following a ‘normative gap analysis’ in March 2023, ‘standard setting on decent work in the platform economy’ was placed on the agenda of the June 2025 International Labour Conference. At that session, constituents agreed the form of the new standard, as well as the basic definitions and scope.

A second standard-setting discussion was held at the June 2026 Conference, which resulted in the adoption of the Convention.

This process has taken place against a broader backdrop of:

• the expansion of digital labour platforms;
• increased scrutiny of working conditions and employment status within the platform economy;
• the development of national and regional rules on classification, pay and algorithmic management for digital platforms.

The new Convention applies to ‘all digital labour platforms’ and ‘all digital platform workers’, regardless of their classification of employment status. The Convention provides detailed definitions for both.

The Convention also allows for some exclusions at national level in certain circumstances, subject to consultation and review.

The new Convention appears to move in this direction. It extends certain core labour protections to platform workers regardless of their employment status.

As the ILO notes in their recent closing press release, this includes ‘in areas such as occupational safety and health and employment termination or deactivation.’ The Convention also ‘encourages Member States to extend adequate remuneration or payment to all workers, including those who are not in an employment relationship.’

This reflects a broader regulatory trend that we have seen at a national level. Some countries have recently introduced legislation extending core labour and social protections to platform workers regardless of their employment status. We wrote about this previously here.

The treatment of employment status was one of the more closely followed aspects of the Convention.

There had been question marks over whether it would introduce a so-called ‘presumption of employment’. While there are some individual nuances, countries that have adopted this model typically list several criteria in the relevant legislation. Where these criteria are met, it is presumed that the platform worker is an employee of the platform company and so is eligible for employment rights. It is often for the platform, if they wish, to seek to rebut the presumed classification.

This approach did not materialise. Instead, the adopted Convention seemingly takes a balanced approach that respects national legal systems and rules. There is also express recognition of self-employment status for digital platform workers. Article 9 of the Convention reads as follows:

‘Each Member shall take appropriate measures to ensure the correct classification of digital platform workers in respect of the existence or non-existence of an employment relationship, guided mainly by the facts relating to the performance of work, the remuneration or payment of the digital platform worker, among other elements, and considering the specificities of work via digital labour platforms.’

Now that it has been adopted, the Convention must be submitted by member States to their national authorities for consideration. If ratified, it will become legally binding twelve months later, requiring implementation in national law and regular reporting on their application.

Employers should be aware that the Convention establishes an international framework that could influence national regulation of platform work. Organisations engaging or operating digital labour platforms may wish to monitor ratification and implementing measures.