Online Work

This chapter investigates the challenges and implications of online work, focusing specifically on online platform work and remote work within an employment relationship. The primary features of online platform work and the challenges they pose for labour and employment regulation are outlined, with an observation that research and legislation have primarily concentrated on offline platform work. The limitations of current regulations and legislative proposals are explored, and how they risk exacerbating the challenges affecting online platform work beyond its boundaries is discussed. The chapter concludes with some ideas for the way forward, emphasizing the need for a paradigm shift in legal thinking and policymaking towards future-proof labour protection regimes, which are more inclusive and universal, recognizing the prominence of remote work in our societies following the COVID-19 pandemic.