Abstract
This study investigates the work experiences of Albanian gig workers in Upwork freelancing platform within the lenses of meaning of work. By offering evidence on more creative and complex remote employment, this study contributes to the growing body of literature on digital freelancing and bridges the scholarship on digital platforms, meaningful work, and entrepreneurship/self-employment to capture the complex nature of experiential work practices on remote digital platforms. In total, 20 semi-structured interviews with gig workers in Tirana, Shkoder and Durres, offered a personalized insight into the lived experiences of the platform gig workers, giving a possibility to comprehend the nuances of their working conditions, challenges faced, opportunities, and benefits. To analyse the data we used the Gioia method. Our findings suggest that the clustering of the concepts shows that for Albanian gig workers, the meaning of work encompasses a complex interplay of flexibility, economic necessity, and personal autonomy, tempered by the challenges of financial insecurity, lack of benefits, and the absence of clear career paths. This study is to offer an exhaustive insight into the world of remote (gig/platform) work in Albania as an under-researched context.