The New Forms of Work and Employee Protection in the Digital Era, APVV-25-0017

About the project

The New Forms of Work and Employee Protection in the Digital Era, APVV-25-0017

Principal Investigator: prof. JUDr. Juraj Hamuľák, PhD.

Research Department: 050505 - Labour Law 

Implementation: 2026 - 2030

The project focuses on the analysis of new forms of work arising from digitalisation and the development of the platform economy, with particular emphasis on the legal regulation of work mediated by digital labour platforms. The main objective of the project is to examine the extent to which existing labour law mechanisms are capable of addressing the specific characteristics of platform work, especially with regard to the determination of employment status, the prevention of illegal employment, and the provision of adequate protection for persons performing work through digital platforms.

The research will concentrate on legal challenges related to the qualification of labour relations in the platform economy, with a focus on the boundaries between dependent employment and selfemployment, as well as the role of the state in monitoring and enforcing compliance with labour law regulations. Special attention will be given to the analysis of European Union legislation, in particular Directive (EU) 2024/2831 on improving working conditions in platform work, and its expected impact on the legal framework of the Slovak Republic. The project will apply legal-dogmatic and comparative methods and will provide expert input for legislative and policy solutions concerning the regulation of platform work.