‘Fits and fancies’: the Taylor Review, the construction of preference and labour market segmentation

Abstract

Abstract The Taylor Review asserts that ‘certain groups are also more likely to place a greater importance on flexibility such as carers, women, those with disabilities and older workers’. This article draws upon the experiences of workers on non‐standard contracts to explore the notion of worker preference and to expose how the discourse of work–life balance is usurped to provide justification for flexibility in the interest of employers rather than workers, reconstructing labour market segregation.