GIG WORK AND THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: CONCEPTUAL AND REGULATORY CHALLENGES

In terms of work and workplaces there are a number of distinguishing features of the predictions associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). The first is the change in the composition and skillsets of the workforce. There will not only be labor displacement, but there will also be a shift towards new and different jobs and toward new skillsets. The challenge for governments will be dealing with labor displacement and labor reskilling. The second change is the very nature of work and workplaces. There will be more work located away from designated workplaces and more work that involves interaction with information and communication technologies. The third change will be regulatory, as work will become “invisible” and geographically dispersed through online and subcontracting arrangements. For governments there will be challenges regulating employment, identifying employers, collecting taxes, and supporting social protections, such as through pensions. To illustrate the changes and challenges associated with 4IR, this article addresses gig work. This material is new to the extent that the terminology and its analysis have only emerged within the past five years. It captures many of the issues and challenges associated with 4IR, which we will highlight through an analysis of gig work. The article draws on evidence from the UK and Australia to consider implications for the 4IR.