From reactive flexibility to strategic flexibility in retail and hospitality

This chapter will enable readers to understand the: * nature and causes of labour market flexibility in two industries that are high users of precariously employed workers * attraction of many employers in retail and hosptality towards a minimalist approach to workplace flexibility, despite policy settings that facilitate employee-oriented flexibility * international literature demonstrating that the strategic implementation of flexible working practices can be beneficial to both employers and employees * potential for implementing flexible workig arrangements in a way that reduces the adverse impacts of events such as the Global Financial Crisis (GFC)