Abstract

The article provides an analysis of labour regulation practices in the small businesses. It explores how relevant aspects of the employment relation, such as pay, working organisation, tasks, working time, are defined at the enterprise level. The article considers the agency of owner/manager and workers in its interplay with structures, in particular with external influences and constraints. By using the findings of in-depth cases studies, the authors highlight a variety of patterns of regulation with different degrees of formalisation and employer unilateralism and diverse forms of workers participation and union involvement.