Page 445 - Invited Paper Session (IPS) - Volume 2

IPS320 Tine Cordes et al.
the suitability of the tested questions for capturing the group of dependent
contractors, additional questions that could be relevant for measuring the
phenomenon in a Danish – or similar – context are considered.

Keywords
ICSE-18; gig economy; precarious employment; self-employment

1. Introduction
1.1. Dependent contractors as a phenomenon
The concept of dependent contractors is of high complexity embracing
different types of formally self-employed exposed to economic risks and costs
that self-employment implies, but without some of the advantages and
liberties that normally also accompany being self-employed. Typical examples
of dependent contractors could be vehicle drivers who search for rides
through an online mobile telephone application, or cleaning workers who are
hired formally as subcontractors, but who are in reality under full operational
instruction of the contracting company as if the workers were employees.
Another example could be an IT consultant working for a former employer –
now on a business contract as self-employed. The consultant now works
permanently in the premises of the former employer with the same tasks as
before. In any case the worker may likely not be entitled to social benefits,
legal protection, insurance etc., but on the other hand presumably has the
right to deduct expenses in his or her tax report.
The phenomenon of dependent contractors is reported to be increasing, or
at least creating more attention, and hence a description of dependent
contractors has been included in ILO’s new International Classification of
Status in Employment from 2018 (ICSE-18). This resolution mentions a number
of different and often quite general characteristics that may identify
dependent contractors, and it seems yet too immature to offer an actual
operationalization of dependent contractors. This paper seeks to contribute to
this process by analyzing various potential indicators of being a dependent
contractor in an economic setting like the Danish one. First, essential
characteristics of dependent contractors according to ICSE-18 are described.
Then the methodology of the analysis is briefly reviewed. Next the results of
the analysis are presented and finally these results are discussed in light of the
process of measuring the concept of dependent contractors.
1.2. Dependent contractors according to ICSE-18
It is clear in ICSE-18 that a dependent contractor is working for profit (in
the same way as a classic self-employed), does not operate an incorporated
enterprise and does not have any employees. However, these characteristics
are also valid for Own-account workers in household enterprises without
employees (from here on just own-account workers). The difference is that the

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