Employment and work conditions in home-based enterprises in four developing countries: do they constitute ‘decent work’?

In a study undertaken from a context of urban plann ing policy, we have been able to gather support for the contention that home-based e nterprises (HBEs) represent a better picture in respect to the ILO concept of ‘de cent work’ than might be expected, especially from the literature on homeworkers. Whil e home-working and some production undoubtedly represent conditions that do not contribute to decent work, HBEs score well on ensuring sufficient work and gen erating adequate incomes but less well on workers’ rights. Overall, they probabl y represent at least as good a work option as locally available, formal sector employme nt opportunities. We argue that their contribution to income and employment opportunities are, however, so important that there should be a change from the unhelpful of ficial stance normally taken to HBEs and largely justified by their perceptions of poor working and environmental conditions.