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Arbetstagarbegreppet i gig-ekonomin - En utredning av det traditionella arbetstagarbegreppets relevans på en arbetsmarknad i förändring

Wikner, Clara LU (2021) LAGF03 20212
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
Digitalization enables companies to establish more flexible business models when offering services and merchandise to its consumers. In this new eco-system, work is organized via digital labour platforms. This phenomenon is typically referred to as the gig-economy. The platform connects a so-called ’gig-worker’ to a buyer of a service. This tri-party relationship blurs the otherwise traditional work relationship between an employee and employer. This thesis aims to examine the relevance of the traditional concept of employee in Swedish law and how it is applied in the gig-economy.

The concept of employee decides to whom labour protection and regulations applies too. Swedish labour law is based on a binary divide in which a worker is... (More)
Digitalization enables companies to establish more flexible business models when offering services and merchandise to its consumers. In this new eco-system, work is organized via digital labour platforms. This phenomenon is typically referred to as the gig-economy. The platform connects a so-called ’gig-worker’ to a buyer of a service. This tri-party relationship blurs the otherwise traditional work relationship between an employee and employer. This thesis aims to examine the relevance of the traditional concept of employee in Swedish law and how it is applied in the gig-economy.

The concept of employee decides to whom labour protection and regulations applies too. Swedish labour law is based on a binary divide in which a worker is either classified as employees or self-employed. Genuine self-employed workers are not covered by labour law regulations. The concept of employee is not defined in Swedish law, but builds on a number of criteria that has been developed through case-law. An overall assessment is made of all relevant aspects in regards to the specific case, which enables the court to determine the status of the employment relationship.

The thesis illustrates how work mediated via platforms challenges the inherited concept of employment and the boundaries of labour law. This is partly due to the gig-companies new and varying business models, and partly due to modern technology which together leads to the definition of employee being applied in a modern context. Digital platforms are steered by algorithms and other innovative technological solutions that complicates the assessment of whether control and management is taking place. Therefore the classification of the gig-worker as employee or self-employed is not so simple. The conclusion of the thesis is that there are good reasons for reviewing and updating the concept of employee in order to capture the nuances in this labour market in transition. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Den digitala teknikens framsteg möjliggör för företag att ha mer flexibla modeller för förmedling av varor och tjänster till konsumenterna. I detta nya eko-system, vilket brukar refereras till som gig-ekonomin, organiseras arbete via digitala plattformar. Gig-arbete som förmedlas via digitala plattformar skapar ett förhållande mellan tre parter, där det finns en beställare, en plattform och en utförare. Gig-arbete avviker därmed från det traditionella arbetsförhållandet mellan två parter, en arbetstagare och en arbetsgivare. Uppsatsen syftar till att utreda arbetsrättens gränser på den moderna arbetsmarknaden och utvärdera det traditionella arbetstagarbegreppets relevans i gig-ekonomin.

Arbetstagarbegreppet sätter gränsen för vem som... (More)
Den digitala teknikens framsteg möjliggör för företag att ha mer flexibla modeller för förmedling av varor och tjänster till konsumenterna. I detta nya eko-system, vilket brukar refereras till som gig-ekonomin, organiseras arbete via digitala plattformar. Gig-arbete som förmedlas via digitala plattformar skapar ett förhållande mellan tre parter, där det finns en beställare, en plattform och en utförare. Gig-arbete avviker därmed från det traditionella arbetsförhållandet mellan två parter, en arbetstagare och en arbetsgivare. Uppsatsen syftar till att utreda arbetsrättens gränser på den moderna arbetsmarknaden och utvärdera det traditionella arbetstagarbegreppets relevans i gig-ekonomin.

Arbetstagarbegreppet sätter gränsen för vem som omfattas av arbetsrättens regler och skyddslagstiftning. Arbetspresterande kan antingen klassificeras som arbetstagare eller uppdragstagare, varav de senare faller utanför tillämpningsområdet. Arbetstagarbegreppet definieras inte i arbetslagstiftningen utan bygger på ett antal kriterier som utformats i rättspraxis. Bedömningen görs utifrån en objektiv helhetsbedömning som baseras på en sammanvägning av de kriterier och andra relevanta omständigheter i det enskilda fallet. Denna helhetsbedömning möjliggör för rättstillämparen att avgöra en arbetspresterandes yrkesställning i den specifika situationen.

Uppsatsen belyser hur arbete som förmedlas via digitala plattformar utmanar det nedärvda arbetstagarbegreppet och arbetsrättens gränser. Detta beror dels på gig-företagens varierande affärsmodeller, dels på den moderna teknologin som medför att arbetstagarbegreppets kriterier tillämpas i en ny modern kontext. De digitala plattformarna styrs av algoritmer och andra teknologiska lösningar som försvårar bedömningen huruvida bland annat kontroll och arbetsledning föreligger. Klassificeringen av gig-arbetare som antingen arbetstagare eller uppdragstagare är därför komplex och det är inte lika tydligt hur arbetsrättens gränser ska dras. Slutsatsen i uppsatsen är att det finns anledning att se över och uppdatera det traditionella arbetstagarbegreppet för att fånga nyanserna i denna arbetsmarknad i förändring. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Wikner, Clara LU
supervisor
organization
course
LAGF03 20212
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Arbetsrätt, arbetstagarbegreppet, gig-ekonomin, gig-arbete, digitala plattformar
language
Swedish
id
9069485
date added to LUP
2022-02-15 11:51:08
date last changed
2022-02-15 11:51:08
@misc{9069485,
  abstract     = {{Digitalization enables companies to establish more flexible business models when offering services and merchandise to its consumers. In this new eco-system, work is organized via digital labour platforms. This phenomenon is typically referred to as the gig-economy. The platform connects a so-called ’gig-worker’ to a buyer of a service. This tri-party relationship blurs the otherwise traditional work relationship between an employee and employer. This thesis aims to examine the relevance of the traditional concept of employee in Swedish law and how it is applied in the gig-economy.
 
The concept of employee decides to whom labour protection and regulations applies too. Swedish labour law is based on a binary divide in which a worker is either classified as employees or self-employed. Genuine self-employed workers are not covered by labour law regulations. The concept of employee is not defined in Swedish law, but builds on a number of criteria that has been developed through case-law. An overall assessment is made of all relevant aspects in regards to the specific case, which enables the court to determine the status of the employment relationship. 

The thesis illustrates how work mediated via platforms challenges the inherited concept of employment and the boundaries of labour law. This is partly due to the gig-companies new and varying business models, and partly due to modern technology which together leads to the definition of employee being applied in a modern context. Digital platforms are steered by algorithms and other innovative technological solutions that complicates the assessment of whether control and management is taking place. Therefore the classification of the gig-worker as employee or self-employed is not so simple. The conclusion of the thesis is that there are good reasons for reviewing and updating the concept of employee in order to capture the nuances in this labour market in transition.}},
  author       = {{Wikner, Clara}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Arbetstagarbegreppet i gig-ekonomin - En utredning av det traditionella arbetstagarbegreppets relevans på en arbetsmarknad i förändring}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}