Abstract:

This article addresses the issues surrounding the transformation of the contemporary labour market in Poland, with a particular focus on the development and diversification of flexible forms of employment. The aim of this study is to analyze this phenomenon and evaluate the extent to which non-standard forms of work performance constitute an opportunity for socio-economic development, and to what extent they generate threats related to precariatisation. The article utilizes the method of critical literature review as well as the dogmatic-legal method. The analysis covers alternative models of work to the traditional employment contract, such as civil law contracts, self-employment (B2B), temporary work, remote work, and platform work (the gig economy). The research results indicate the dual nature of flexibility: on the one hand, it optimizes costs and supports autonomy, while on the other, it shifts economic risk onto the individual, leading to the emergence of a new social category – the precariat