Sexual harassment by customers drives psychological distress and shifts workplace behavior among gig workers, according to new research published on October 3 in the Journal of Business and Psychology.
Psychological Toll on Isolated Workers
A rideshare driver picks up a passenger who makes repeated unwanted sexual comments. The ride ends, but the experience does not. The driver may still feel anxious, distracted, or angry long after the passenger leaves, carrying those feelings into the next ride.
For rideshare drivers, delivery workers, housekeepers, and others who provide services directly to customers, harassment ranges from unwanted sexual comments and propositions to inappropriate touching. Unlike standard company settings, independent contractors often lack a designated manager to contact, peers to step in, or straightforward protocols for logging complaints.
“Many gig workers do their jobs alone and interact with customers without coworkers, supervisors, or other bystanders present,” said Tianjun Sun, assistant professor of psychological sciences at Rice University and coauthor of the study. “In many cases, they are confronting these situations largely on their own.”
Led by Yijue Liang of George Mason University, the research brings together scholars from Rice University, Texas A&M University, and George Mason University to examine an under-researched workplace problem.
The research involved two separate studies of gig workers in the United States. The first followed 99 workers over five days, collecting 373 daily observations about customer sexual harassment and psychological responses. The second involved 377 in-person gig workers who reported experiencing customer sexual harassment.
In Plain English: The Clinical Takeaway
- Psychological Distress: Harassment triggers emotional exhaustion and anxiety, causing workers to pull back from their duties, slow down, or reduce their overall work effort.
- Self-Threat: When inappropriate encounters challenge a worker’s dignity or sense of control, it directly contributes to negative interpersonal interactions with subsequent customers.
- Collective Protection: Access to unions or worker organizations acts as a buffer, mitigating the harmful indirect relationship between harassment and subsequent workplace behavior.
Psychological Distress Leads to Production Deviance
Researchers identified two distinct psychological responses that explain how these experiences affect worker behavior. The first is psychological distress, which involves feelings of anxiety, uneasiness, or emotional exhaustion. Workers experiencing this distress may withdraw from responsibilities, slow down, or put less effort into their work.
Workers experiencing this distress were more likely to report production deviance, a term describing intentional reductions in work effort or performance. That could mean deliberately slowing down, completing tasks less carefully, or putting less effort into assignments.
The second response, known as self-threat, occurs when harassment challenges a worker’s sense of dignity, competence, or control. That response was associated with interpersonal deviance, or negative behavior toward customers.
“A harmful customer interaction can drain a worker’s psychological resources in different ways, and those reactions can carry over into how they perform their job and interact with people afterward,” Liang said.
The Protective Power of Collective Support
In both of the investigations, participants who noted they could rely on unions or similar worker associations displayed diminished negative indirect links connecting mistreatment to subsequent professional conduct. Such organizations provide community, shared experiences, information, and opportunities to seek support that are often missing from independent gig work.
“For workers whose jobs are structurally quite isolating, simply having access to a collective voice and support system may communicate ‘you are not dealing with this alone’ in a very meaningful way,” Sun said.
The findings also carry implications for companies operating gig platforms. Investigators recommend establishing more transparent reporting channels for abuse, permitting service providers to evaluate clients, supplying risk-related details prior to job acceptance, and imposing stricter penalties on patrons with a verified record of misconduct.
Implications for Worker Well-being
For Sun and her colleagues, the research shows that behind every convenient app-based transaction is a person facing the realities of an often unpredictable workplace.
| Study Metric | Study One | Study Two |
|---|---|---|
| Participant Count | 99 workers | 377 workers |
| Primary Focus | Daily customer harassment and psychological responses | Customer sexual harassment and worker behaviors |
“The convenience of the gig economy can make the people providing that convenience almost invisible,” Sun said. “We hope people come away with a better appreciation that gig workers deserve the same basic dignity and safety we would expect in any workplace.”
References
- Journal of Business and Psychology — DOI: 10.1007/s10869-026-10156-6
- Futurity — Sexual harassment takes a hidden toll on gig workers
- Click2Houston — Harassment doesn’t end when the ride does
