Decent Work in the Digital Age: European and Comparative Perspectives

The book explores the legal and practical implications of the digital age for employment and industrial relations, analyzing the problems arising from the digitalization of work and investigating how to ensure decent working conditions for workers affected by digitalization. It presents a theoretical framework on the impact of automatization, robotics, and digitalization on individual and collective labor law and provides an in-depth analysis of new patterns of work prompted by digitalization.

Format: Hardback
Length: 384 pages
Publication date: 20 October 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

This comprehensive book delves into the intricate web of legal and practical implications that the digital age has brought forth in the realm of employment and industrial relations. It serves as a valuable resource for understanding the challenges and opportunities that arise from the digitalization of work, as well as the strategies needed to ensure fair and equitable working conditions for all stakeholders.

The book begins by examining the various problems that arise from the digitalization of work, including issues such as platform work, robotization, discrimination, data protection, and freedom of speech. It sheds light on the negative effects these developments have on working conditions, such as reduced job security, lower wages, and increased stress and burnout. Recognizing the urgent need to address these challenges, the book proposes a comprehensive framework for ensuring decent working conditions for workers affected by digitalization.

To achieve this, the book investigates the minimum standards that should be in place to mitigate the negative effects of digitalization. It explores the role of legislation and collective bargaining in guaranteeing these standards, as well as the mechanisms that can be put in place to enforce them effectively. The book also presents a theoretical framework on the impact of automatization, robotics, and digitalization on the very basic principles of individual and collective labor law.

The chapters in the book provide an in-depth analysis of the new patterns of work that have emerged as a result of digitalization, including classification of platform workers, recognition of employment and social security rights, competition law aspects of platform work, remote (tele)work arrangements, algorithmic decision-making and remote surveillance, data protection and privacy, and social media in working environments. Each chapter offers a comprehensive examination of the relevant legal and regulatory frameworks, as well as the practical implications of these developments for workers, employers, and policymakers.

The book is an invaluable resource for academics and researchers, social partners, and policy makers with an interest in labor law and industrial relations. It provides a comprehensive and up-to-date examination of the complex issues that arise in the digital age, and offers practical solutions and strategies for navigating this rapidly evolving landscape. By exploring the legal and practical implications of the digital age for employment and industrial relations, this book contributes to the ongoing debate about the future of work and the need for sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781509958238