The Meaning of Work

The Meaning of Work is a one-of-its-kind book delving deep into the problems and issues raised by questions related to work and its meaning in today’s changing times and exploring new pathways and answers. Fourteen eminent labour and employment law experts contribute insightful analyses of developments and trends in the world of work that have a penetrating impact on how we understand and approach labour law.

The book is the outcome of the Third Conference in Commemoration of Professor Roger Blanpain, organized by the Institute for Labour Law of KU Leuven in September 2023.

In this compendium, the contributors explore the following aspects of the rapidly changing work landscape:
- working with smart technology and artificial intelligence;
- protection of the self-employed and teleworkers;
- the erosion of boundaries between work and personal life;
- the ‘right to disconnect’;
- protection of worker privacy in an era of heightened surveillance;
- reconciling the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) with labour law requirements;
- labour law protections beyond the human worker to include the environment;
work in periods of crisis;
- precarious work;
- wearable technology in workplace monitoring;
- and robots in the workplace.

Elucidating the relationship between labour law and the individual, the overall perspective suggests a transformative vision where labour law becomes the law of social freedom, intrinsically linked to personal development and social recognition.

The varied contributions together furnish a key foundation for reimagining labour law and advancing our understanding of the evolving meaning of work by drawing attention to the need for legal frameworks to respond to unprecedented global, technological, and social transformations. With its pragmatic insights into contemporary workplace issues, critical analysis of work-life balance, and guidance on managing technological change, it will be highly appreciated by practitioners, academics, regulators, and social partners working in the fields of labour and employment law.