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Editorial: PhD students and the Futures of Work

By Vanessa Beck, Blandine Emilien, Chris Pesterfield and Giorgos Gouzoulis

Issue 30 // 14th January 2025

This issue features five articles by PhD students, showing that while the future of work remains uncertain, the Futures of Work scholarship is thriving and hopeful. Read more of the article

Rewriting the rules of the gig economy: Can regulation really change the game?

By Angel Martin-Caballero

Issue 30 // 14th January 2025

Angel Martin-Caballero highlights how gig platforms disrupt labor markets, worsening conditions and posing regulatory challenges. He asks: Have things improved, or are precarious jobs just evolving? Read more of the article

Life and hell under the same roof: Colombian call centre workers’ job perceptions and emotional strategies

By Carlos Pineda Ramos

Issue 30 // 14th January 2025

Carlos Pineda Ramos explores how emotions in Colombian call centers are shaped by cultural, social, and economic forces, revealing workplace inequalities. Read more of the article

Are internships opportunities or barriers for young working-class people?

By Naomi Wells:

Issue 30 // 14th January 2025

Naomi Wells examines how unpaid internships deepen inequality, with a Labour ban potentially reducing opportunities. Companies must address socioeconomic biases to improve access to internships and jobs. Read more of the article

(Not) bright like a diamond: Exploring Surat’s diamond polishing hub during a protracted recession

By Kavya Bharadkar

Issue 30 // 14th January 2025

Kavya Bharadkar explores how recession in Surat’s diamond industry drives job cuts, unpaid leave, and rising worker distress, exposing deep structural flaws and the need for reform. Read more of the article

Reshaping responsibility: Platforms, clients and the online gig economy

By Karthika Nadarajah

Issue 30 // 14th January 2025

Karthika Nadarajah highlights how digital platforms reshape gig work, but client accountability is lacking. Shared responsibility models and clearer roles can balance fairness with innovation in the gig economy. Read more of the article

It makes you sick: The mental health impact of the demonisation and policing of benefit claimants

By Allan Reynolds

Issue 29 // 16th October 2024

Allan Reynolds examines how mental health patients expressed anxiety about the transition from Disability Living Allowance to Personal Independence Payment, rooted in negative experiences with the Work Capability Assessment, highlighting the broader harmful impacts of harsh welfare policies. Read more of the article

Confusion and contradiction: Navigating work and disability benefit rules  

By Annie Harper and Yolanda Herring

Issue 29 // 16th October 2024

Annie Harper and Yolanda Herring show how people on disability benefits face contradictions: they must prove total inability to work, enduring stigma and fraud checks, while being pressured to return to work, reflecting a belief that full citizenship depends on 'productive' employment. Read more of the article

Current challenges and future opportunities for social security claimants and policy 

By Daphne Hall

Issue 29 // 16th October 2024

Daphne Hall suggests that Labour's proposals offer a holistic approach to employment support, shifting the DWP's role toward helping people. However, issues like the NHS and adult social care, which impact the nation's health, also need urgent attention. Read more of the article

People-powered welfare: Including lived experience in redesigning employment support  

By Niall Cooper and Jane Perry

Issue 29 // 16th October 2024

Niall Cooper and Jane Perry emphasise the importance of including individuals with lived experience in reforming the employment support system to effectively address economic inactivity and enhance welfare policies. Read more of the article