Labour market flexibility v. job security – a comparative analysis of Swiss and Po- lish labour law regulations on fixed-term employment contracts

Abstract

In the time of a knowledge-based economy, flexibility has become increasingly important for both employers and employees. The process of making the labour market flexible leads to the greater popularity of atypical forms of employment, with fixed-term employment contracts among them, which are considered to be less consistent with the protective function of labour law in comparison with indefinite-term employment contracts. The right balance between labour market flexibility and job security has become a real concern. Taking into account the legal regulations on fixed-term employment contracts which are now in force in Poland and Switzerland, this paper determines how that relationship has been shaped in those countries with reference to fixed-term employment contracts.