‘Gig’ Work and Fatherhood: A Typology of Ride-Share Fathers in Australia

This paper examines what motivates fathers with dependent children to work in the gig economy and to what extent care considerations influence their decisions to perform this work. Integrating the literature on gig work, flexible work and the household dynamics of gig workers, this case study fills a gap by examining how well ride-share work enables fathers to manage their work, unpaid domestic and childcare commitments. Drawing upon 35 semi-structured interviews, we unpack these fathers' motivations for the work and identify two main drivers: working-time and income-earning flexibility. Applying social role theory, we explore how ride-share work enables and/or restricts fathers' ability to care for their children and how it shapes their gender roles. We contribute to the literature by developing a typology based on ‘working time’ flexibility, used to care for their children, and ‘income earning’ flexibility, to provide for their families, differentiating between partnered and separated/divorced dads.