Newest report

 The Chinese government’s requirement that middle tier tech schools [“中等職業學校”] send students for short term internships is designed to support employers struggling with competitive recruitment costs. The government’s coercion relieves the pressures of employers’ intensified desire for flexible employment to sidestep restrictions on their right to fire; and the rising cost of recruiting short term employees during “booms” in the business cycle.  But the consequences of the policy choice go beyond forced employment and uncompetitive cost cutting. Here, we explore how some employers use students and short term employment to avoid accountability for OHS hazards.