We are pleased to announce the publication of a new article in the journal Foresight, Analysis and Recommendations. The research article deals with the issue of bogus self-employment in the construction industry in connection with the posting of workers from Slovakia. The term ‘bogus self-employment’ refers to the situation in which self-employed workers carry out dependent work, which should be conducted in an employment relationship. The paper is authored by Alexandra Moran, a junior researcher at the Institute for Forecasting CSPS SAS. The publication expands upon the results of the INFO-POW project, which dealt with the evaluation of information channels and their use in the posting of workers.
This paper investigates the phenomenon of bogus self-employment, a significant form of non-standard employment, and its connection to the posting of workers within the European Union. The focus is placed on the national context of the Slovak Republic as the leader in the posting of self-employed workers, both in relative and absolute terms. In 2022, 50.7% of PDs A1 issued by Slovakia were granted to self-employed workers being posted to other Member States, in stark contrast to the EU average of 5.3%.
The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of available literature and data, specifically of national and European legal sources, reports and statements from public actors (ministries, labour inspectorates, employers’ associations, and trade unions), statistical data on posting and self-employment, and academic literature, which expands upon the INFO-POW project conducted between 2022 and 2024.
The results highlight the challenges posed by bogus self-employment, most notably the limited labour and social protection for workers, which incentivises the use of dependent work outside traditional employment relationships. The findings highlight the necessity for further research and policy initiatives to address the fiscal, regulatory, and social challenges associated with bogus self-employment and the posting of workers.
The article is available in full on our website: https://www.prog.sav.sk/bogus-self-employment-in-the-construction-sector-and-the-posting-of-workers-from-the-slovak-republic/
