The WorkOD project ran from 2018 until 2023, investigating the ever-evolving nature of contracts and contracting behaviour in the world of work – not only contracts of employment, but also those of casual, ‘zero-hours’, and self-employed workers. A particular point of focus was the emerging ‘gig’ or ‘on demand’ economy, in which consumers order a range of services, or delivery of a range of goods, online or via smart phone apps. Research was also undertaken in the hospitality and catering sector and in human resource management. One subproject addressed the question of the meaning of strategic litigation for workers and trade unions.
The WorkOD project had a strong comparative dimension, analysing differences in forms of contract and contracting behaviour across jurisdictions and over the course of several decades. A key innovation was the characterisation of contracting for work as an instance of economic, social and legal behaviour. With the aim of developing a new methodology or framework for the study of work contracts, elements of economic sociology, sociology of law, and political economy were synthesised by the team into a new ‘economic sociology of labour law’.
Work on Demand: Contracting for Work in a Changing Economy 