Humans as a Service

The crowdsourcing of work - the 'gig economy' - has been hailed as a 'sharing' revolution, enabling 'micro-entrepreneurs' to enjoy greater autonomy and flexibility in taking on 'gigs', 'rides', or 'tasks', while customers benefit from the ease, convenience, and affordability of 'work on demand'. Is this the future of work? What are the benefits and challenges of crowdsourced work? Is the gig economy fundamentally different to existing models of work and should it be kept outside the scope of employment law, as many platforms claim?Humans as a Service offers an engaging and critical account of the gig economy. It charts the industry's dramatic growth, explores the diverse platforms that comprise it, and describes how they operate. In scrutinising the competing narratives about 'gig' work, the book demonstrates the importance of language: how claims of 'disruptive innovation' and 'micro-entrepreneurship' often obscure the realities of highly precarious work and the strict algorithmic surveillance and control to which workers are subject. And yet, far from being radically new, the book shows that the gig economy is but the latest (and perhaps most extreme) example of labour market practices that have existed for centuries. Turning to how the law should respond to the on-demand economy, it argues that regulators can and must bring this work within the scope of employment law, adapting existing norms where necessary, in order to protect both customers and workers. Finally, it explores the wider implications of the gig economy for markets and consumers, assessing opportunities and challenges - if this is the future of work, how can it be made sustainable?

“"Whether you agree with him or not, the arguments Jeremias Prassl offers in this book will change the way you think about at work and labor law in a changing economy. It is a brilliant and fascinating book. A triumph." -- David Schleicher, Professor of Law, Yale Law School "The sudden arrival of the 'gig economy', and its exponential global growth, took both academics and policy-makers by surprise, exposing some regulations as no longer fit for purpose in the volatile conditions of digital global labour markets. Prassl provides us with a magisterial overview, cutting through starry-eyed myths about entrepreneurship, while exposing the realities of work that is managed by algorithms. This is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand not just the inadequacies of current legal frameworks for regulating this runaway new form of work organisation, but also, and more importantly, to do something about it, to create the basis for a sustainable new model of employment protection fit for the 21st century." -- Ursula Huws, Professor of Labour and Globalisation, University of Hertfordshire”

Timely and thought-provoking, Humans as a Service is an important examination of the consequences of an important, disruptive economic development. Ray Bert, Civil Engineering
4: [A] comprehensive look at the gig economy. Shantha David, Law Society Gazette
An engaging, illustrative, and thought-provoking book. Václav Janecek, Oxford Business Law Blog
An engaging and readable account of the legal and policy issues that underpin the debate about the protection of those working in the gig economy... [an] elegantly written [and] concise work.... recommended for anyone who wants to understand the wider context of work in the gig economy and its engagement with employment law. Charles Wynn-Evans, Employment Lawyers Association's ELA Briefing
This book offers a seminal account of the main features of work in the gig economy, providing a considerable amount of information and interesting insights on a varied and rapidly varying phenomenon ... the findings of the book, which illuminates the promises and especially the perils of on-demand work, provide an extremely valuable contribution to the overall discussion. Marco Biasi, European Journal of Social Security
The arguments Jeremias Prassl offers in this book will change the way you think about at work and labor law in a changing economy. It is a brilliant and fascinating book. A triumph. David Schleicher, Professor of Law, Yale Law School
The sudden arrival of the 'gig economy', and its exponential global growth, took both academics and policy-makers by surprise, exposing some regulations as no longer fit for purpose in the volatile conditions of digital global labour markets. Prassl provides us with a magisterial overview, cutting through starry-eyed myths about entrepreneurship, while exposing the realities of work that is managed by algorithms. This is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand not just the inadequacies of current legal frameworks for regulating this runaway new form of work organisation, but also, and more importantly, to do something about it, to create the basis for a sustainable new model of employment protection fit for the 21st century. Ursula Huws, Professor of Labour and Globalisation, University of Hertfordshire
Prassl offers a good survey of the literature... Humans as a Service should guide you to other useful avenues of thought as we seek to rethink employment law for the future of work. David Cowan, Global Legal Post *

Jeremias Prassl is a Fellow of Magdalen College and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at Oxford University. He advises public and private sector organisations around the world on regulating the gig economy, and tweets about the future of work @JeremiasPrassl.

WHAT IF YOUR BOSS WAS AN ALGORITHM? The gig economy promises to revolutionise work as we know it, offering flexibility and independence instead of 9-to-5 drudgery. The potential benefits are enormous: consumers enjoy the convenience and affordability of on-demand work while micro-entrepreneurs turn to online platforms in search of their next gig, task, or ride. IS THIS THE FUTURE OF WORK?This book offers an engaging account of work in the gig economy across the world. Competing narratives abound: on-demand gigs offer entrepreneurial flexibility - or precarious work, strictly controlled by user ratings and algorithmic surveillance. Platforms' sophisticated technology is the product of disruptive innovation - whilst the underlying business model has existed for centuries.HOW CAN WE PROTECT CONSUMERS & WORKERS WITHOUT STIFLING INNOVATION?As courts and governments around the world begin to grapple with the gig economy, Humans as a Service explores the challenges of on-demand work, and explains how we can ensure decent working conditions, protect consumers, and foster innovation. Employment law plays a central role in levelling the playing field: gigs, tasks, and rides are work - and should be regulated as such.

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