Anses Report Warns of Severe Health Risks for Food Delivery Workers Under Algorithmic Management

The French agency highlights physical, mental, and emotional tolls on delivery workers and calls for stronger protections and platform accountability.

The Anses report, published on March 26, 2025, identifies significant health risks for food delivery workers, including accidents, stress, and burnout caused by algorithmic management systems.
Platforms like Uber Eats and Deliveroo use opaque algorithms that create informational imbalances, intensify workload pressures, and eliminate human oversight in task management.
Workers often engage in 'auto-acceleration' strategies to meet algorithmic demands, leading to physical and mental exhaustion, sleep disorders, and increased risk of accidents.
The report urges mandatory safety measures, such as providing equipment, training, and applying labor protections, including limits on working hours, to improve worker safety and well-being.
The European Union's directive on algorithmic transparency, adopted in late 2024, is being implemented by member states, with a two-year deadline to enhance worker protections and oversight.