Advances in big data, algorithms and cloud computing over the past decade have contributed to the emergence and widespread use of digital platforms. Given this new reality, the authors of this report believe there are a number of reasons why the Canadian government should adopt a platform economy strategy for Canada.

This report examines the use of electronic monitoring in franchises and the difference in incentives between franchise models that resemble independent entrepreneurship versus employment. The author argues that franchising provides a useful lens for policymakers to think about how to assign legal rights and responsibilities in other areas where corporations have blurred the lines between...

With the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, many in the world’s workforce have shifted to home-working, thereby joining the hundreds of millions of workers who have already been working from home for decades. This report seeks to improve understanding of home work, as well as to offer policy guidance that can pave the way to...

Self-employment has risen significantly over the past two decades. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragile nature of work for many people in the UK – and the self-employed workforce is no exception. This report brings to the fore some of the shared challenges faced by self-employed people in the pursuit of improved working lives...

At the heart of this inquiry are the issues of whether contracting or other arrangements are being used to avoid the application of workplace laws and other statutory obligations. The recommendations in this report are designed to address the uncertainty that exists about the status of platform workers and indeed, other ‘on-demand’ non-employee workers.