This document is a collection of the presentations provided at the Global Research Workshops on Freelancing and Self-Employment 2015, held 26-27 November 2015 in London.
This introduction chapter to The Handbook of Research on Freelancing and Self-Employment provides an overview of the content of the book and outlines a research agenda on freelancing.
Freelance workers present a special challenge in terms of collective labour organisation. As an individualistic and highly dispersed workforce, they are both difficult to recruit and represent. This paper explores the operational and legal difficulties that freelancers pose for trade unions in terms of collective representation. This is chapter 10 of the Handbook of Research on Freelancing and Self-Employment.
In contrast to dependent employees, most self-employed people are free to choose if they wish to insure themselves against social risks such as longevity, illness, or long term care. Unfortunately, we know very little about the situation of self-employed people regarding the protection against social risks, as reliable data is missing. Against the background of the upsurge of these professions, this lack of coverage is indicative of an increasingly precarious position or social exclusion of those groups. This is chapter 12 of the Handbook of Research on Freelancing and Self-Employment.
The CRSE is the leading international think tank working to improve the understanding of the self-employment sector and its impact on the economy. In collaboration with a global network of academics at the forefront of self-employment studies, the CRSE conducts and promotes leading edge multidisciplinary research. The aim of the CRSE is to better inform public policy and add value to practitioners.
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CRSE’s report examining the role of freelancers in the project and gig economies was covered in the latest edition… https://t.co/XbOlAqyoLV
