The Impact of Digital Technologies and Digitalization on Labour Law: the Case of Slovenia

Abstract

Building on research focusing on the impact of digital technologies on the labour market, this paper provides an interpretation of major findings by reference to labour law in Slovenia. It is argued that the existing labour law in Slovenia does a reasonable job in dealing with the changes we are witnessing in digital economy. However, the problem is in the implementation of workers« rights in practice. The workers are not taking action to enforce their legal rights as much as one could expect. In addition to this, employers do not put enough attention to the challenges that digitalisation brings in the field of health at work and in the field of workers« skills.  Therefore, the Slovene government should embark upon a system of reforms to improve the promptness of courts in labour disputes. It should also appoint more labour inspectors. At the same time, employers should adopt practical solutions regarding the organisation of working process with aim to diminish the negative impacts of digitalisation on health at work. Furthermore, the employers should put more attention to the development of workers« skills, especially those which, according to theory, will be crucial in the future. Vpliv digitalnih tehnologij in digitalizacije na delovno pravo – primer Slovenije Izhajajoc iz raziskav o vplivu digitalnih tehnologij se prispevek osredotoca na delovno-pravne vidike, ki jih digitalizacija prinasa v svet dela na splosno in se posebej v Sloveniji. Avtorja poudarjata, da ucinek in posledice tehnoloskih inovacij presegajo dileme o izginjanju dosedanjih delovnih mest in nastanku novih: nanasajo se na vprasanje kvalitete zaposlitve, varnosti zaposlitve, placila za delo in delovnih pogojev. Avtorja menita, da slovensko delovno pravo nudi primerne odgovore na izzive, ki jih digitalno gospodarstvo prinasa v svet dela. Zato se ne zavzemata za spremembe zakonodaje, pac pa poudarjata, da je v Sloveniji problem predvsem implementacija te zakonodaje v praksi. Delavci v praksi ne uveljavljajo svojih pravic, delodajalci pa posvecajo premalo pozornosti vplivu digitalizacije na zdravje pri delu in razvijanju kompetenc delavcev. Resitve obstojecih izzivov so zato nujno vecplastne. Slovenska vlada bi morala pristopit k oblikovanju reform za se vecjo hitrost sodnih postopkov, prav tako bi morala povecati stevilo inspektorjev za delo. Obenem bi delodajalci morali razmisliti o prakticnih resitvah na podrocju organizacije delovnih procesov ter na ta nacin omiliti negativne ucinke digitalizacije na zdravje delavcev. Prav tako bi morali vec pozornosti nameniti razvijanju tistih kompetenc delavcev, ki bodo, po raziskavah sodec, v prihodnosti kljucne.