There has been a significant growth in flexible or "non-standard" forms of employment. Within a conceptual framework that focuses on the nature of employment relationships, this text explores the spatial and temporal connections between work and non-work and the development of flexible labour within a global arena. In addition, it considers the circumstances which have given rise to a variety of "non standard" forms, including the impact of deregulation, government policies, unemployment, globalization, employer strategies and trade union responses. Providing an international and comparative focus, it offers an account of an increasingly common form of work.