This study investigates work schedules in online labour markets, operating in 24/7 mode across spatial borders and time zones. Focusing on largely hidden and invisible work of freelancers such as searching for jobs and communicating with clients, the study documents how platforms put pressures and constraints on freelancers’ time through the mechanism of task allocation. We use data on 241,582 timestamped messages posted by 29,759 unique users in 4082 contests on a leading Russian‐language freelance platform to reveal how freelancers’ efforts to get a job make them work nonstandard hours, including evenings, nights and weekends. Freelancers have to be responsive and adapt their schedules to clients’ needs. Freelancers who live in time zones which differ from their clients are particularly disadvantaged, working a greater proportion of nonstandard hours. The findings emerging from the study contribute to current debates on the gig economy and a new time‐work discipline.

中文翻译：

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始终跨时区：在线演出经济中无形的时间表

本研究调查在线劳动力市场中跨空间边界和时区以24/7模式运行的工作时间表。该研究关注自由职业者的大部分隐藏和不可见的工作，例如寻找工作和与客户沟通，该研究记录了平台如何通过任务分配机制对自由职业者的时间施加压力和约束。我们使用领先的俄罗斯自由职业者平台在4082个竞赛中由29,759位唯一用户发布的241,582条带有时间戳的消息上的数据，来揭示自由职业者如何获得工作，使他们在非标准时间（包括晚上，晚上和周末）工作。自由职业者必须做出响应，并根据客户需求调整日程安排。居住在与客户不同时区的自由职业者尤其处于不利地位，工作更多的非标准时间。该研究得出的发现有助于当前关于零工经济和新的计时工作学科的辩论。