Between Autonomy, Heteronomy and Flexibility: The Meaning of Contracts for Work (Werkverträge) in the Working Environment

The ongoing process of labour market opening, growing international competition and the associated increasing flexibility requirements of firms have led to a structural transition of labour markets and labour itself. Existing studies and data show that, in recent years, rising shares of employment relationships and tasks beyond the regular labour market are organized as so called “atypical employment”. Beside rather “traditional” forms of atypical employment – as fixed-term employment, part-time employment or temporary employment – the outsourcing of tasks to subcontractors by means of contracts for work and services (Werkverträge) is an economically only sparsely investigated phenomenon. Firms’ main motives for organizing their tasks in this form are the gain of flexibility and the reduction in costs. On the other hand, employees acting for contractors are often working outside collective wage agreements, inter alia. As a result, employees may face losses of wage and social security.

While other forms of atypical employment are rather well investigated, the significance and dynamics of contracts for work (Werkverträge) are rather neglected so far. Therefore, this project aims to work out an overview of this topic based on a literature- and document analysis. In terms of content, the issue is regarded from the perspectives of firms, employees and institutional actors in Germany. Based on the results, both potential action fields for political and institutional actors and further need for research are derived and indicated.