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Track four

Non-Standard Forms of Work and its Implications on Workplace and Labour Market Inequality

Non-standard forms of employment have become widespread globally since the mid-1970s. Characterised by flexibility, these arrangements allow employers to adjust both the composition of their workforce and the design of work. Non-standard employment manifests in two primary ways: flexible employment relationships and flexible work organisation. The former includes part-time, short-term, temporary, and contract-based employment, as well as zero-hour contracts. Examples of the latter include remote and hybrid work arrangements. Measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as lockdowns, have further accelerated the adoption of flexible working, particularly through remote and hybrid models.

Non-standard forms of work and employment relationships have significant implications for labor market and workplace inequality. By contributing to labor market segmentation, these arrangements are often associated with insecure, low-paid jobs and limited employment rights. Flexible work arrangements also exacerbate inequality, particularly gender inequality, by limiting promotion prospects and widening the gender pay gap. Because flexible roles are predominantly held by women with caregiving responsibilities, who often reduce hours in their current positions, the benefits of improved work-life balance are frequently offset by marginalisation, reduced access to training, and limited career progression.

While there is an extensive body of literature on non-standard forms of employment, further research is needed on the conceptualisation of its various forms, the extent of its adoption, the emergence of new flexible work arrangements, and its long-term consequences. This track aims to explore these understudied areas, and we encourage submissions addressing the following questions, among others.

  • What are the new conceptualisations of flexible work and precarity? Which forms of flexible work constitute precarious work? What are the various manifestations of precarious work? What are the legal and conceptual differences between hybrid and flexible work?
  • What are the outcomes of non-standard forms of employment for workers, organisations, and societies? How do flexible work arrangements affect worker well-being and work-life balance? What are the career outcomes associated with these forms of work?
  • What new forms of organising are emerging for workers in non-standard employment relationships? How is a flexible workforce being organised? What forms of worker responses have emerged against precarious work, and what were the outcomes of these responses?
  • What are the long-term consequences of non-standard employment on labor market segmentation and inequality? How do flexible work arrangements affect workplace inequality?
  • How have national contexts influenced the form of precarious work across countries? How do regulatory environments shape employers’ choices of working arrangements?