The Human Right to Work

The purpose of this chapter is to take a critical look at the human right to work. The chapter begins with an overview of how this right is interpreted in the context of international human rights doctrine and practice. A central component of the human right to work on this interpretation is the right of access to employment, which is taken to include rights to assistance in obtaining employment and to the availability of employment. The chapter focuses on a critical discussion of these rights, first considering whether the human right to work should be interpreted as a more extensive right to guaranteed employment, and ultimately concluding that it should be interpreted as a more minimal right against employment discrimination. The argument is developed through reflection on possible implications for the human right to work of recent advances in technology and automation of work.