Decent work in the UK: Context, conceptualization, and assessment

an article by Vanessa Dodd (Nottingham Trent University, UK) and Tristram Hooley and Ciaran Burke (University of Derby, UK) published in Journal of Vocational Behavior Volume 112 (June 2019)

Highlights

• The following studies sought to further understand decent work in the UK context.
• Study 1 was a validation of The Decent Work Scale (DWS) within the UK context.
• We found evidence that The DWS is a valid measure for use in the UK.
• In study 2 we found all decent work subscales to be relevant to decent work in the UK except for access to healthcare.
• Additional constructs may be important to understanding decent work in the UK context.

Abstract

Access to decent work is an important goal for policymakers and for individuals navigating their working lives. Decent work is a career goal for individuals and a priority for many employers and policy makers seeking to promote social justice. Decent work forms part of the United Nations sustainable development goals and the International Labor Organisation's (ILO) Decent Work Agenda. The findings of the Taylor Review (2017) have helped to prioritize decent work as a policy aim for the current UK government.

Although macro-level indicators have been well developed to monitor access to decent work, there have been few studies which attempt to understand decent work at the individual level. As a result, our studies explore the measurement and definition of decent work in the UK. Study 1 investigates whether the Decent Work Scale (DWS) is a valid measure for use in the UK and Study 2 uses a qualitative approach to further understand what decent work means to working people in the UK. Study results may have implications for the assessment and conceptualization of decent work among this specific population.

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A Strategic Approach to Regulating Unacceptable Forms of Work

an article by Deirdre McCann (Durham University, England) and Judy Fudge (McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) published in Journal of Law and Society Volume 46 Issue 2 (June 2019)

Abstract

Upgrading low‐waged and insecure work is central to contemporary labour and development initiatives, from the UN Sustainable Development Goals to the United Kingdom ‘Taylor Review’.

The International Labour Organization's notion of unacceptable forms of work (UFW) is a crucial contribution. Yet the regulatory frameworks that can effectively address UFW are unclear.

This article builds on a novel framework ‐ the Multidimensional Model of UFW. Drawing on theoretical literatures at the frontline of regulation scholarship, it proposes a strategic approach to UFW regulation that supports development, acknowledges the constrained resources of low‐income countries, and targets expansive and sustainable effects.

Two key concepts are identified: points of leverage and institutional dynamism. Globally‐prominent regulatory frameworks are assessed as a starting point for mapping the strategic approach: the Mathadi Act of Maharashtra, India; Uruguayan domestic work legislation; minimum wages in the global North and South; and United Kingdom regulation of ‘zero‐hours contracts’.

Full text (PDF 31pp)

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