Still Informal? Care Platforms in a Loosely Regulated Context,the Italian Case

Abstract

Despite the progressive marketisation of domestic and care work, care in the Italian context is still firmly anchored within a familistic welfare model in which families must rely on their own resources against limited services. The limited development of in-kind provision reflects an overload of care functions delegated to cash provision, which, however, do not contribute to the definition of a formalised system of care. About labour regulation, in Italy since 1974, domestic and care work has been regulated by a National Collective Labour Agreement (NCLA). Unfortunately, the possibility of using the NCLA is linked to the economic and social possibilities of families, who often use the various welfare schemes to pay caregivers informally. Alongside these formal and informal pathways, a growing number of digital platforms have emerged to match or facilitate connections between workers and families seeking help. The research presented first questions on the role of care platforms as a new actor in intermediation processes. Second, stemming from the Italian familistic model, the paper seeks to understand whether and how platforms contribute to the creation of new segmentation mechanisms in the market or by exploiting the unmet demand for care to present themselves as innovative actors in the provision of care services.