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Laws, Policies, and Collective Agreements Protecting Low-wage and Digital Platform Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors :
MacEachen, Ellen
de Rijk, Angelique
Dyreborg, Johnny
Fassier, Jean-Baptiste
Fletcher, Michael
Hopwood, Pamela
Koivusalo, Meri
Majowicz, Shannon
Meyer, Samantha
Ståhl, Christian
Welti, Felix
RS: CAPHRI - R4 - Health Inequities and Societal Participation
Sociale Geneeskunde
Tampere University
Health Sciences
Source :
New Solutions: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy, 32(3), 201-212. Baywood Publishing Co. Inc.
Publication Year :
2022

Abstract

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this commentary describes and compares shifting employment and occupational health social protections of low-wage workers, including self-employed digital platform workers. Through a focus on eight advanced economy countries, this paper identifies how employment misclassification and definitions of employees were handled in law and policy. Debates about minimum wage and occupational health and safety standards as they relate to worker well-being are considered. Finally, we discuss promising changes introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic that protect the health of low-wage and self-employed workers. Overall, we describe an ongoing "haves" and a "have not" divide, with on the one extreme, traditional job arrangements with good work-and-health social protections and, on the other extreme, low-wage and self-employed digital platform workers who are mostly left out of schemes. However, during the pandemic small and often temporary gains occurred and are discussed. Funding Agencies|Canadian Institutes of Health Research [VR5-172687]

Details

ISSN :
15413772 and 10482911
Volume :
32
Issue :
3
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
New solutions : a journal of environmental and occupational health policy : NS
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....14639c6ee116c5831a98c439d10d3a3e