The Committee on Global Thought is a proud co-sponsor of:
Labor Rights in the Fissured, Gig, and Algorithmic Economy: Exploring the regulation of work and the protection of workers’ rights in the changing global economy
Around the globe, the workplace is increasingly fissured and work has become ever more precarious as companies rely on subcontracting, franchising, temporary workers, and independent contractors. In some sectors, “gig” work has entirely displaced more stable forms of employment. Meanwhile, automation and algorithmic management are on the rise. This session will examine how law has contributed to these developments and how the regulation of work and the field of labor law might be reconceived in light of changes in the global economy. We will ask: To what extent are new forms of employment really new? What has been the effect of fissuring on work and what is the likely effect of automation and algorithmic management? Against this background, how are workers organizing to transform their jobs and their communities? What is the relationship between informal norms generated by workers and formal labor law? What about the relationship between collective rights at work and the functioning of democracy?