The Same but Different: Regulating Zero Hours Work in Two Liberal Market Economies

Ryan Lorraine (), MacMahon Juliet, O’Sullivan Michelle, Turner Thomas, Lavelle Jonathan, Murphy Caroline, O’Brien Mike and Gunnigle Patrick
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Ryan Lorraine: University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
MacMahon Juliet: University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
O’Sullivan Michelle: University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
Turner Thomas: University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
Lavelle Jonathan: University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
Murphy Caroline: University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
O’Brien Mike: University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
Gunnigle Patrick: University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

The Irish Journal of Management, 2019, vol. 38, issue 1, 3-15

Abstract: The rise in zero hours contracts in liberal market economies (LMEs) has recently received much attention with calls for regulation to protect workers. LMEs typically adopt flexible labour market policies that are less regulated than coordinated market economies (CMEs) as a competitive advantage. In this paper we examine nuanced differences in the nature and regulation of zero hours work in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland. With an increased diffusion of zero hours work in both countries, we examine the different responses taken by these similar LMEs to this contemporary employment issue. We examine whether, as expected in an LME context, there is weak regulation in both countries and the factors influencing this. We find subtle but important differences between regulations of zero hours contracts. We conclude by discussing the possible implications of the UK’s exit from the European Union (EU) (Brexit) for the regulation of precarious work.

Keywords: Zero Hours Contracts; Legal Regulation; Liberal Market Economy; Employment Relationship; Precarious Work (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:vrs:irjman:v:38:y:2019:i:1:p:3-15:n:5

DOI: 10.2478/ijm-2019-0002

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