ABSTRACT
Technological innovation brings new dimensions and new possibilities, moving the frontiers of human capability much further than we could have ever imagined. These challenges have prompted reflections about the appropriateness of existing regulations and policies, and about the consequences for the world of work for workers’ rights and for business development. The classic standard employment relationship characterised by a full-time permanent job with fixed hours and social protection is nowadays in crisis. “Platform work”, which is growing in importance throughout the world, is changing the way of doing business in many sectors; while it can constitute an entrance to the world of work for many, it might also be a low-quality job trap. The dilution of the time and space dimensions is also one of the consequences of the latest wave of technological innovations in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). It is now possible to work anytime anywhere, which brings increased flexibility but might have a negative impact on the quality of working life as well as on work-life balance. Finally, big data analytics opens a whole range of possibilities in the world of work but at the same time poses ethical and privacy risks.
