John Burgess

The Nature and Dimensions of Precarious Employment in Australia

Abstract The quality of employment is often neglected in policy debates in Australia. Non-standard employment forms are dominating job generation in Australia. While the non-standard category is heterogeneous, it contains many jobs that exhibit characteristics of precariousness. Moreover, though precariousness is concentrated in non-standard employment, it is by no means confined to non-standard employment. Precariousness also affects parts of standard employment itself. This article is exploratory, aimed at taking up and applying the concept of precariousness to employment in Australia. It discusses the concept of precariousness, emphasising the importance of varied dimensions of labour insecurity. It then outlines the nature, spread and implications of precarious employment in Australia.

Casual Employment in Australia and Temporary Employment in Europe: Developing a Cross-National Comparison

Labour market analysis conventionally distinguishes amongst employees according to whether their contract of employment is ‘permanent’ or ‘temporary’. The permanent contract of employment, best understood as a contract for an indefinite term, is the central form. It has served as the crucial pivot in the development of ‘industrial citizenship’ during much of the twentieth century. Most advanced capitalist societies, apart from isolated exceptions such as the United States, have followed a parallel historical course, whereby permanent employment – in particular in its full-time form – was installed both as the dominant form of employment and as the standard entry-point for access to a comprehensive set of industrial rights and benefits, including minimum wages and standardised working-time arrangements (Streeck 1992).

Temporary work and human resources management: issues, challenges and responses

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce the special issue volume that examines a range of concerns, challenges and responses relating to temporary workers and human resource management (HRM).Design/methodology/approach – The paper highlights eight key research questions and describes the structure of the issue. The various articles investigate six main areas: the rationale for using temporary workers rather than permanent workers; factors determining types of temporary work arrangements; the rationale for temp workers entering into temporary employment; the nature and extent of the relationship between TWAs and user firms; the relationship between employment regulations and an organisations labour use patterns of temporary workers and the HR challenges associated with ongoing and extensive use of temporary workers.Findings – Findings varied according to the main focus of each paper. It is evident, however, that no one perspective, public policy or organisational strategy is likely to fit all ...

The “family friendly” workplace

The closer integration of work and family responsibilities has become an important element in the promotion of the decentralisation of the Australian industrial relations system. This article outlines the origins of the work and family agenda and discusses how it has come to be incorporated into the industrial relations reform agenda. A work and family typology is developed. Examples of family friendly workplace arrangements are outlined and discussed, and the extent to which these are incorporated into enterprise agreements is then outlined. There must be doubts as to how far family friendly workplace arrangements can be extended in an economy with high rates of casualisation, falling trade union densities and considerable differences in bargaining power. Indeed, many of the current family friendly arrangements are distinctly family unfriendly. Finally, there are important gender issues to consider in relation to the family friendly industrial relations agenda.

Casual Employment in Australia: Growth, Characteristics, a Bridge or a Trap?

About one in every four Australian employees is a casual. The casual share has doubled over the past decade and continues to expand. This paper catalogues the growth of casual employment and discusses the characteristics of casual jobs and of those in casual jobs. The key analytical issue discussed is whether casual employment is a transitional employment arrangement on the road towards permanent employment conditions. Alternatively, is it a trap which is associated with job insecurity, low earnings and spells outside of employment? Although the evidence is partial and circumstantial, casual employment is a bridge for some and a trap for others. In particular, for those who wish to beak out of unemployment, casual employment is unlikely to be a transitional point on the road to a permanent job. This finding has important implications for the design of labour market programs.

Affirmative action or managing diversity: what is the future of equal opportunity policies in organisations?

Equal employment opportunity policies were introduced in Australia in the 1980s in response to womens disadvantaged workforce position. Australias unique form of affirmative action was underpinned by legislation, and aimed to promote gender equity in the workplace via employer action. Throughout the 1990s there has been a policy shift away from collectivism towards individualism, and away from externally driven social programmes at the workplace towards managerialist driven social programmes. The main process for implementing progressive and inclusive equity programmes at the workplace is through human resource management policies that link employment diversity to organisational objectives (for example, productivity and profitability). Programmes titled “Managing diversity” have been introduced into some organisations, and today there are a variety of approaches towards equity policies in Australian organisations. The article proposes that a distinctive Australian version of managing diversity will develop in some organisations based on the prior national legislative framework.

Equal employment opportunity legislation and policies: the Australian experience

Purpose – Organisations have to respond to a range of legislative and policy initiatives intended to promote equal employment opportunity for women. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the mix of legislation and policies in Australia: anti‐discrimination and equal opportunity legislation, equal pay, work and family and managing diversity policies.Design/methodology/approach – Legislation, industrial relations changes and policies relating to pay equity, non‐discrimination on the grounds of sex, affirmative action and equal opportunity, including work and family policies and managing diversity approaches are reviewed in the context of changing labour conditions and social trends.Findings – Organisations are presented with a range of policies from which to choose and the result is variety in the extent and type of equity programs which produce variable outcomes for women in the workplace.Practical implications – While this paper deals in particular with Australia, the pattern of multiplicity of approach...

Filling the gaps: Patterns of formal and informal participation

Industrial relations scholarship has traditionally privileged union forms of employee participation. In more recent years there has been a shift to understand the role of participation in non-union firms. This article develops theory on employee participation through analysis of an Australian case study in the hotel sector. The authors find that formal participation mechanisms are useful and essential for both employees and managers, however formal participation leaves behind gaps which are partially filled with informal voice exchanges between employees and their managers.

Declining Job Quality in Australia: Another Hidden Cost of Unemployment

The deterioration of the labour market associated with high and sustained rates of unemployment leads to forms of hidden unemployment and underemployment as well as a systematic decline in job quality. The ability of employers to reduce job quality is enhanced through conditions of persistent excess labour supply. In turn the State can challenge and erode conditions and standards that sustain job quality. Hence, falling job quality is another of the hidden costs of unemployment. This paper sets out the decline in job quality in Australia as manifested by the growth in non-standard employment arrangements and by the systematic erosion of the conditions associated with the standard employment model.

The influence of precarious employment on career development: the current situation in Australia

Purpose – The aim of this article is to explore the influence of precarious (temporary) employment on employability and career development.Design/methodology/approach – The article draws together primary and secondary research material.Findings – Findings indicate that there are both positive and negative perspectives with regard to temporary employment and career development for both the workers themselves and the user firms.Research limitations/implications – Implications arising are that policy development/research is required to investigate potential interventions that could be introduced.Practical implications – These are in line with the articles suggestion of adopting transitional labour market strategies. These major transitions are between education and employment; (unpaid) caring and employment; unemployment and employment; retirement and employment; “precarious” and permanent employment.Originality/value – The article outlines two facets of precariousness associated with temporary work in rela...