INTRODUCTION:
The consolidation of app-mediated subordinate work has intensified precarious conditions in several occupations, indicating health risks for workers. This has been observed in food delivery work performed by bicycle couriers. At the same time, work management has been reconfigured: employers have become faceless,1 meaning that work directives are no longer issued by human supervisors but are instead established through digital platforms. This context reveals the trap of work that is highly hazardous to the body, while the relative freedom experienced by workers who are not directly managed by personified bosses leads them to experiences of pleasure2.

METHODS:
The study investigated app-mediated food delivery workers who gathered daily in a public square in the city of Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil. Participant observation was used as the primary research technique.

RESULTS:
The investigated work is characterized by precarious conditions, including low pay; deregulation; bodily risks inherent to navigating traffic alongside motor vehicles; workdays reaching up to 12 hours per day, six days per week; inadequate spaces for meals; and lack of sanitation facilities. These conditions represent significant health risks for workers. However, work prescriptions — the guidelines that shape how tasks should be performed — communicated via the app, create spaces in which workers experience certain levels of autonomy. This allows them to develop coping strategies and experience pleasure in their work2.

CONCLUSIONS:
App-mediated subordinate work constitutes a trap for workers: while the experience of pleasure may benefit mental health, workers simultaneously submit to precarious conditions that expose them to physical risks. The experience of pleasure and a sense of autonomy act as motivating factors that contribute to workers remaining in this type of work.