Author: Andrea Sticca – WH Partners
Autonomy or Dependence? In digital work, how important is autonomy if one’s income depends on a single client?
In an article published in Il Sole 24 Ore, Pietro Ichino reflects on the role of economic dependence in determining labour protections.
Continuous connection to a company’s IT systems now extends across a wide range of activities: transport, insurance services and technical professions. Whilst this integration can have a profound impact on how work is organised, its prevalence makes it more difficult to regard it, on its own, as a factor that identifies those most in of protection.
The issue also concerns the freedom to terminate the working relationship. A professional may enjoy autonomy in how they carry out their work despite depending on a single client, while also having skills that are difficult to apply elsewhere, and facing the loss of almost all their income if the engagement ends.
This suggests that bargaining power must also be assessed in light of the alternatives actually available on the market. It also highlights the need to translate this perspective into verifiable criteria.
The extent to which a worker relies on a single client for their income, the duration of the working relationship, and the transfer-ability of their skills are distinct factors that need to be assessed together.
Working for a single client may indicate vulnerability, but the nature of that dependence and its effects on the worker’s position need to be understood.
The article thus opens a discussion on how well legal categories reflect the conditions under which work is actually carried out.
Source: Pietro Ichino, ‘Economic dependence in the digital age’, Il Sole 24 Ore, 20 October 2026, p. 18.
