Is exploitative work becoming the new normal? Does the world of work have to be this way? In this podcast, Professor Geraint Harvey of the School of Management deliberates new forms of work, what they look like and how they impact the worker. Think you know the benefits to the gig economy? Think again.
Professor Geraint Harvey is Director of the Centre for People and Organisations at the School of Management. His research interests lie in changes to the employment relationship and in particular the way in which employment contracts are being replaced by commercial contracts. In many instances people do exactly what they would do as an employee, but are defined as self-employed workers who therefore have less security and don’t receive benefits such as holiday and sickness pay, and pension contribution from the organisation. These people are defined as the bogus (false or synthetic) self-employed. We have seen an increase in work in what has become known as the gig economy, where there aren’t secure long term jobs, but discrete opportunities for workers to earn money for work.
The Centre for People and Organisation is a small group of social science researchers that engage with issues associated with Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management.