AI is increasingly used by employers to manage their workforce. This raises several concerns for labour lawyers, particularly because it amplifies managerial prerogatives in unprecedented ways, through algorithmic decision-making systems that often lack transparency for the workers affected and entail a risk of de-humanization of the decision-making process. The course aims to explore the regulatory safeguards available—especially at the EU level—to address these challenges.
The course is organized into 6 weeks. Each week includes several lessons, consisting of videos, written texts and assessment quizzes.
Week 1 – The rise of algorithmic management
Week 2 – Algorithmic management and labour laws
Week 3 – Algorithmic management and the GDPR
Week 4 – Algorithmic management and the AI Act
Week 5 – Algorithmic management and the Platform Work Directive
Week 6 – What future for the regulation of algorithmic management in the workplace?
By the end of the course, students should be able to demonstrate:
Knowledge and understanding:
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Describe and explain the legal challenges posed by algorithmic management in the workplace.
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Illustration of EU regulatory frameworks, including the GDPR, AI Act, and Platform Work Directive, and their implications for labour law.
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Ability to interpret key sources such as legislation, case law, and policy documents.
Ability to apply knowledge:
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Apply legal knowledge to assess the regulatory safeguards available for algorithmic management.
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Evaluate the impact of EU regulations on employer algorithmic practices and workers’ rights.
Autonomy and critical thinking:
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Independently analyze the effectiveness of existing regulatory frameworks.
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Formulate reasoned critiques and proposals for improving legal protection against the risks of algorithmic management.
Communication skills:
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Clearly express complex legal and policy arguments, both orally and in writing.
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Construct structured arguments integrating EU, national, and comparative perspectives.
The assessment of learning will take place through a final multiple-choice test, designed to verify the overall understanding of the content covered in the five educational modules. The test will be accessible exclusively to students who have completed the entire program and will provide a comprehensive overview of the topics addressed, with the aim of consolidating and evaluating the skills acquired.
The final examination will therefore combine a first part focused on assessing knowledge with a second part that requires students not only to recall information but also to demonstrate their ability to apply it in practice.
In particular, the final test will also require students to engage with case studies that were not previously discussed in the lessons, designed to assess their capacity to critically apply the knowledge they have acquired. To this end, they will be redirected to excerpts from court rulings, newspaper articles, or videos, which they are expected to carefully review in order to successfully complete the test.
The course is structured through video lessons and supplementary educational materials, such as PowerPoint presentations, regulatory texts, and case law, designed to support both understanding and in-depth exploration of the content. Each video is accompanied by a short three-question multiple-choice quiz, allowing students to independently verify their comprehension and decide whether to proceed to the next lesson.
At the end of each module, students will complete a comprehensive quiz to assess their level of preparation and gain access to the following module.
The quizzes following individual videos can be taken immediately after viewing the lesson, while those at the end of each module also require studying the supplementary materials provided.
The course does not require any mandatory prerequisites. However, a basic legal background is recommended, and prior knowledge of labour law would be particularly beneficial. In any case, the course is designed to be accessible, and key concepts will be thoroughly introduced and explained.
Giovanni Gaudio
giovanni.gaudio@unito.it
For technical inquiries:
edvancedeh@unito.it