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Journal articles and conference presentations

Persistently non-compliant employment practice in the informal economy: permissive visibility in a multiple regulator setting

Non-compliant informal employment in the UK has substantial economic impact, contributing 10% of GDP and employing 9% of the private sector workforce. Exploitative labour practices, exacerbated by a lax regulatory environment, raise concerns. A study explores enforcement challenges and suggests cooperation among regulators, using hand car washes as an example.

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A ‘place-based’ approach to work and employment: The end of reciprocity for ordinary working families and ‘giggers’ in a place

'Place basing' is defined as examining work within a specific location. The authors explore low-paid, insecure jobs unaffected by offshoring, highlighting issues of reciprocity between employers and employees. Their research focuses on vulnerable working families, revealing disparities from the idealized economic model that relies on self-sufficiency.

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How do licensing regimes limit worker interests? Evidence from informal employment in Britain

Informalized workplaces, like hand car washes, are on the rise in the UK, employing low-wage, exploited workers. This challenges the interaction between formal institutions and agency. The article explores: 1) why informal workplaces lack regulation, 2) absence of collective resistance, and 3) how car wash licensing may marginalize workers.

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Fragmentation but no solidarity! Grey zones of hand car washing across middle England

The paper introduces a new theoretical approach to examine informal work, focusing on abandoned spaces like hand car washes. It reveals spatial inequalities caused by exploitative informal employment and suggests regulatory changes to address emerging labour patterns.

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How do Licensing regimes displace labour law and trade unions?

The study analyzes worker representation issues in UK informal employment sites. Evolving hybrid representation challenges unions due to diverse work. Research explores informalization, modern slavery, and regulation. Findings reveal policy favouring casualization and fiscalization, impacting social protection and work hours. The study enhances understanding of representation, addressing gaps and examining state re-regulation through licenses.

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Abandoned spaces and technology displacement by labour: the case of hand car washes

This study challenges views of automation by focusing on hand car washes' proliferation. It explores abandoned spaces as capital commodities, where labour displaces technology in low-cost, informal work. It contributes by investigating the spatial and economic aspects of these spaces, suggesting technology can be overshadowed by labour-intensive, informal practices.

  • Contributors: Ian Clark
  • Journal: New Technology, Work and Employment - October 2018

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