- Title
- The future of work and labour regulation after COVID-19
- Creator
- Howe, John; Healy, Joshua; Gahan, Peter
- Relation
- Australian Journal of Labour Law Vol. 34, p. 130-145
- Publisher
- LexisNexis Butterworths
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2021
- Description
- The worldwide shock of the COVID-19 pandemic has recast debates about the future of work. A discussion previously dominated by automation and the rise of the gig economy rapidly expanded to encompass new, and newly important, concerns: remote work, the protection and recognition of ‘essential’ workers, wage subsidies for the unemployed and furloughed, and government’s broader responsibilities to maintain social cohesion and rebuild economic vitality. As the Australian economy commences a tentative recovery from the deep ravages of 2020, we cast our eye over recent developments in the labour market and working practices, in light of that earlier future of work discourse, to ask how much of it remains relevant and what new issues and concerns have come to light. We argue that the role of technological change has been subdued, but not extinguished, by the current crisis. We highlight two important domains — workplace surveillance and enforcement of minimum standards — where governments and labour regulators can seize on nascent technological possibilities to realise a more equitable future of work after COVID-19.
- Subject
- COVID-19; labour regulation; remote work; labour market; working practices
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1441147
- Identifier
- uon:41332
- Identifier
- ISSN:1030-7222
- Language
- eng
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