Swirl - Slash Workers and Industrial ReLations https://www.swirlproject.eu/
Funded by DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion - EMPL.A – Employment and Social Governance “Improving expertise in the field of industrial relations ”
In recent years, the number of people having a second job has increased, a phenomenon that has markedly transformed their professional profiles and has fragmented their career paths, leading to the growth of so-called ‘slash workers’. These workers display a slash (/) in their job title since they are engaged in multiple paid activities that require different skills and are likely to be developed in various sectors. The advent of digital platforms has accelerated this trend, as well as making it more evident. Who are the slash workers in Europe? What are their needs in terms of labor and social protections? Who represent them collectively? The Swirl project answered these questions by various means: the analysis of Eurostat statistical data; the mapping of digital labor platforms; the secondary analysis of the regulatory systems in the countries under investigation; the interviews and local workshops with experts; the interviews with 100 slash workers; the analysis of 15 case studies of initiatives for the protection and representation of slash workers. What emerged is a picture of the needs of these workers, an analysis of the current responses implemented, and ad hoc policy recommendations.