Moore, Sian and Newsome, Kirsty (2019) Management by exception? The Taylor Review and workforce management - Good Work: The Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices. New Technology, Work and Employment, 34 (2). pp. 95-99. ISSN 0268-1072 (Print), 1468-005X (Online) (doi:10.1111/ntwe.12128)

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Abstract

Good Work: The Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices champions work flexibility defined in terms of worker preference or choice (referred to as ‘the British way’). Emphasis throughout the report is placed upon the necessity for the UK to ‘encourage flexible work’, highlighting the virtues for both employers and employees. Indeed, flexible working, the review claims, has a positive impact on productivity, worker retention and the overall quality of work. In this commentary, we draw on research evidence from workers on non‐standard contracts to question these claims. We interrogate the notion of worker preference for flexible work (or non‐standard contracts) by focusing on two key areas highlighted in the report, autonomy over working time and work–life balance. In doing so, we expose the way that the Taylor Review's narrative and aspirations for good work ultimately vindicates labour market segregation and fails to fully comprehend the power dynamics at play in the contemporary workplace. Our evidence reflects how structural processes constrain labour market participation. With a view to the focus of this journal, we also explore the role of technology in extending the management prerogative over workers on non‐standard contracts, thereby regulating fragmented, episodic and desynchronised work. In particular, we consider the use of workforce management software (WFM), focusing upon two sectors with large numbers of workers on non‐standard contracts: electronic monitoring in homecare and GPS technology and algorithms in logistics and parcel delivery.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Taylor Review; Flexible working; Workforce management software (WFM); Low Pay Commission
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Business
Last Modified:	14 Jun 2024 12:03
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/23422

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