From Voluntariness to Coercion: The Heterogeneity of Work Under Nonstandard Employment

Although flexible employment is a prominent subject of sociological research, specific arrangements still require further investigation. This article addresses this gap by analyzing three nonstandard forms of employment among data analysts and care workers: ‘bogus’ self-employment, mandate contracts, and undeclared work. It addresses the main research question of whether such employment invariably worsens working conditions, or whether it can also constitute a desired form of employment. The study shows that the lack of formal regulation – which is a consequence of the lack of standard employment – does not automatically lead to precarization, and that workers’ motivations range from voluntariness to coercion, illustrating the heterogeneity of this broad category. Depending on the specific form of employment, labor market sector, age, and individual resources, such employment can function either as a strategic choice enabling certain benefits or as a source of precarization.