Job Quality in an Era of Flexibility

11The social dimension of job quality

Perceived social support in contrasting regulatory contexts for temporary agency work

Pille Strauss-Raats

Introduction

Modern work is increasingly reliant on social relationships, illustrated by rising proportion of service sector jobs, workers adding to their income through ‘gigs’ in sharing economy and other innovative work practices (Eurofound, 2015). Organizational striving for flexibility places permanent full-time employees side-by-side with temporary workers, independent contractors and agency employees. As formal relationships between employers, employees and workplace communities loosen, workers are increasingly faced with the necessity to adapt to new contexts of work. Changing workplaces, tasks ...