Those who do not work on standard, full-time, permanent employment contracts
are less satisfied with their working conditions than their counterparts in
standard employment, are less likely to receive training paid for by their
employer and are more likely to perform monotonous tasks.

Two new publications from Eurofound address the complex issue of so-called
'atypical work'. A comparative report, Flexible forms of work: 'very atypical'
contractual arrangements, highlights the increase in the use of work
arrangements without a written contract, of part-time work of fewer than 10
hours a week and of contracts of less than six months.

This report examines the recent evolution of some specific flexible employment
contractual arrangements in the EU Member States and Norway. Within the broader
category of 'non-standard forms of work', the overview focuses on the 'very
atypical' forms of work, namely: part-time work of fewer than 10 hours a week,
very short fixed-term contracts, zero hours working and non-written contracts.
Despite the difficulty in obtaining data, the study highlights the increase in
the use of these different types of contractual arrangements and the sectoral
specificities that exist Europe wide. The study explores actions which seek to
guarantee both flexibility and security in the labour market through a degree
of regulation and monitoring of these forms of work. The use of very atypical
work raises particular challenges, especially in terms of health and safety,the
risk of poverty and the propensity for undeclared work. Social partners as well
as policymakers still have to address these challenges.

At the same time, a background paper, Very atypical work: Exploratory analysis
of the fourth European Working Conditions Survey, complements the findings of
the report with analysis of Eurofound's survey findings.

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AplusA-online.de - Source: Eurofound