Is the European Commission’s proposed directive on adequate minimum wages an attempt to build resilience into the labour market? The European Commission’s proposed directive on adequate minimum wages (Directive on adequate minimum wages in the European Union COM/2020/682 final) has elicited strong opinions. (The Commission’s Impact Assessment also adds to the discussion.) The adequate minimum…
Will offices close in favour of telework/remote work? It is unclear whether telework/remote work will be taken up (where feasible) in a significant manner once businesses more widely re-open. The question of continued use of office space (as well as in what capacity and size) has been posed and widely noted in newsmedia with attention-grabbing…
Reclassification of ‘gig’ workers in California The State of California passed a law in force as of 1 January 2020 that classified ‘gig’ workers as employees of the platforms engaging their services ‘unless the hiring entity demonstrates that the person is free from the control and direction of the hiring entity in connection with the…
On 22 June 2020, the European Social Partners released their Autonomous Framework Agreement on Digitalisation.The Social Partners signing this agreement were: BusinessEurope, SMEunited, CEEP, ETUC and the liaison committee EUROCADRES/CEC, The Agreement is welcome (particularly in the midst of a pandemic) as an acknowledgement of the continuing movement towards a predominantly digital means of working…
Are exploitative contracts part of innovation? 2020 has not only been a year of pandemic. The year has also provided additions to the growing tome of ‘gig economy’ litigation; case law that has largely (though not exclusively) centred around Uber. Employment status has been the focal point of this discussion. Attention should be drawn to…
Covid-19: Long-term vs short-term Assessing the effect of the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 on work and employment will be a long-term endeavour. While much of the emphasis has been on when and how economies may safely re-open, we draw attention to the undervalued workplace considerations therein. We have produced an early assessment of measures taken…
Introduction The field of digitalisation and privacy at work has received two major European Union initiatives over the last few days. First, on 24 June 2020, the European Commission issued its first report on the evaluation and review of the General Data Protection Regulation (the ‘GDPR’). It officially takes the form of a Communication from…
Positioning for a new economic start A popular cultural reference point for the Latin phrase carpe diem has been the film Dead Poets Society, starring the late Robin Williams. In this movie, the English teacher, portrayed by Williams, uses this Latin phrase at the opening of his first class with his students. The scene from…
Foodora Leaves Canada The pandemic of 2020 is a demarcation point that will take some time to understand. In the midst of such profound changes to daily life, labour law remains one background to these challenges. After its riders in the Canadian province of Ontario won a challenge to their union certification on 28 February…
Reflecting on digitalization (as a collective term for artificial intelligence, robotization and new technologies) of the workplace draws out the confused intermingling of outcomes and ambitions. The aims of technological innovations entrench an economic understanding of efficiency, often at the expense of social considerations, which pose significant potential to displace human workers. These aims, as…
