Professor Jason Heyes
Management School
Professor of Employment Relations
+44 114 222 3219
Full contact details
Management School
A015
Sheffield University Management School
Conduit Road
Sheffield
S10 1FL
- Profile
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Jason Heyes is a Professor of Employment Relations in the School of Management at the University of Sheffield.
He is also the director of the Centre for Decent Work (CDW), one of the school's research centres, and was the Management School's Associate Dean for Impact and Engagement between 2020 and 2024.
Before joining the Management School in 2012, he was a Reader in Human Resource Management and head of the Organisation, Work and Employment group at the University of Birmingham.
His research has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), British Academy and European Commission. He has also undertaken research projects on behalf of, among others, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), European Commission, Low Pay Commission and the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI).
He was a co-investigator on the multi-disciplinary ESRC-funded programme (2017-2021) Sustainable Care: Connecting People and Systems.
In October 2022, he became the Principal Investigator on a three-year ESRC-funded project that will examine The Transitions of Young Workers in the UK Labour Market: Consequences for Careers, Earnings, Health and Wellbeing. The project is part of the ESRC’s Transforming Working Lives research programme.
He is also a Co-Investigator for the ESRC-funded The Productivity Institute (TPI) and the academic lead for the Yorkshire, Humber and North East Regional Productivity Forum, which is funded by the TPI and whose members comprise representatives from the worlds of business, policy and education within the region.
He regularly engages with policy and practitioner bodies and has had extensive involvement with the ILO, a specialist agency of the United Nations. He has written several reports for the organisation and acted as a technical expert for ILO technical cooperation projects in Turkey, Azerbaijan and Ukraine. He is regularly invited to contribute to the activities of the ILO's International Training Centre in Turin. His cooperation with the ILO has also led to two books on Labour Administration, co-edited with Ludek Rychly, a former ILO senior specialist (and current visiting professor in CDW), and jointly published by the ILO and Edward Elgar. The most recent book, The Governance of Labour Administration: Reforms, Innovations and Challenges, is available on an Open Access basis from Edward Elgar's website.
He is an Associate Editor of the Industrial Relations Journal and a member of the editorial boards of Work, Employment & Society and the Social Policy Forum (SPF), a journal published by the Czech Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs.
He is also a Member of the ESRC's Peer Review College and an Academic Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
- Research interests
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Jason’s main research interest is in the connections between employment relations, political economy and public policy.
His current research focuses on:
- Workers' labour market transitions
- Underemployment and work intensity
- Governance of labour issues (labour administration)
His research typically makes use of qualitative and quantitative methods.
Previous research has examined, among other things, the consequences of the Great Recession for European labour markets and policy agendas; the European Commission's flexicurity agenda; the impact of the UK's statutory minimum wage regulations on pay, employment and training; employer support for employees with care responsibilities; and trade union support for migrant workers.
Jason is interested in research that leads to impact. For example, in 2015 he led a project on comparative developments in labour administration, which was co-funded by the ILO and the ESRC and led to the development of a training toolkit for labour inspectorates. The toolkit, which was designed by Jason Heyes and Dr Thomas Hastings on behalf of the ILO, is intended to help labour inspectorates extend their reach to the informal economy. The toolkit has been used to train many labour inspectors in countries including South Africa and was showcased in an Impact Case Study submitted to the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) exercise.
- Publications
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Edited books
- Combining work and care: Carer leave and related employment policies in international context. Policy Press.
- The Governance of Labour Administration: Reforms, Innovations and Challenges. Edward Elgar and ILO.
- Labour Administration in Uncertain Times: Policy, Practice and Institutions Since the Crisis. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar and International Labour Office.
Journal articles
- Varieties of labour administration in Europe and the consequences of the Great Recession. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 42(4), 1282-1304. View this article in WRRO
- Underemployment and well-being in Europe. Human Relations, 74(8), 1240-1266. View this article in WRRO
- The intensification of work in Europe: a multilevel analysis. British Journal of Industrial Relations. View this article in WRRO
- Flexibility, labour retention and productivity in the EU. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 31(3), 335-355. View this article in WRRO
- Living with uncertain work. Industrial Relations Journal, 49(5-6), 430-437. View this article in WRRO
- Farewell to flexicurity? Austerity and labour policies in the European Union. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 39(3), 458-480. View this article in WRRO
- How Close are Formal and Informal Work?. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 37(7/8), 374-386. View this article in WRRO
- Introduction. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 37(7/8), 355-360. View this article in WRRO
- The changing face of youth employment in Europe. Economic and Industrial Democracy. View this article in WRRO
- Underemployment and well-being in the UK before and after the Great Recession. Work, Employment and Society, 31(1), 71-89. View this article in WRRO
- Relied upon for the heavy lifting: can employment protection legislation reforms lead the EU out of the jobs crisis?. Industrial Relations Journal, 46(2), 81-99. View this article in WRRO
- Employment protection under fire: Labour market deregulation and employment in the European Union. Economic and Industrial Democracy.
- Flexicurity in crisis: European labour market policies in a time of austerity. European Journal of Industrial Relations, 19(1), 71-86.
- Trade Union Members’ Participation at Branch and Regional Levels: A Comparison of Women and Men in UNISON. Journal of Industrial Relations, 54(5), 669-687.
- Mobilising resources for union learning: a strategy for revitalization?. Human Resource Management International Digest, 20(4).
- Varieties of capitalism, neoliberalism and
the economic crisis of 2008–?. Industrial Relations Journal, 43(3), 222-241.
- Vocational training, employability and the post-2008 jobs crisis: Responses in the European Union. Economic and Industrial Democracy: an international journal.
- Flexicurity, employment protection and the jobs crisis. Work, Employment and Society, 25(4), 642-657.
- Mobilising resources for union learning: a strategy for revitalisation?. Industrial Relations Journal, 42(6), 565-579.
- The Impact of the National Minimum Wage on the Textiles and Clothing Industry. Policy Studies, 22(2), 83-98.
- Recruiting and organising migrant workers through education and training: a comparison of Community and the GMB. Industrial Relations Journal, 40(3), 182-197.
- Review Essay: Digging the grave of apartheid: the history of black mineworkers in South Africa. Work, Employment and Society, 21(4), 799-805.
- Training, social dialogue and collective bargaining in Western Europe. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 28(2), 239-258.
- Recruiting, paying and training 16‐ and 17‐year‐old school leavers. Industrial Relations Journal, 38(5), 386-405.
- Small firms and the National Minimum Wage: Implications for pay and training practices in the British private service sector. Policy Studies, 25(3), 209-225.
- The implications of the national minimum wage for training in small firms. Human Resource Management Journal, 13(2), 76-86.
- Experiencing multi-skilling: evidence from the chemical industry. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 53(4), 543-560.
- Homeworkers and the national minimum wage: Evidence from the textiles and clothing industry. Work, Employment and Society, 15(4), 863-873.
- The Impact of the National Minimum Wage on the Textiles and Clothing Industry. Policy Studies, 22(2), 83-98.
- Bargaining for skills: Trade unions and training at the workplace. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 36(3), 459-467.
- Annualised hours and the 'knock': The organisation of working time in a chemicals plant. Work, Employment and Society, 11(1), 65-81.
- Does Training Matter? Employee Experiences and Attitudes. Human Resource Management Journal, 6(3), 7-21.
- A formula for success? Training, reward and commitment in a chemicals plant. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 34(3), 351-369.
- Placing Symbols before Reality?: Re‐evaluating the Low Skills Equilibrium. Personnel Review, 23(5), 35-49.
- Training provision and workplace institutions: an investigation. Industrial Relations Journal, 24(4), 296-307.
- Trade Union Influence on Innovation in the British Private Sector: Direct and Indirect Paths. Economic & Industrial Democracy. View this article in WRRO
Chapters
- Introduction: Comparing carer leave policies cross-nationally, Combining Work and Care: Carer Leave and Related Employment Policies in International Context (pp. 1-26).
- Critical comparative analysis: Similarities, differences and lessons learned, Combining Work and Care: Carer Leave and Related Employment Policies in International Context (pp. 241-265).
- United Kingdom, Combining Work and Care: Carer Leave and Related Employment Policies in International Context (pp. 104-132).
- Underemployment In Johnstone S & Wilkinson A (Ed.), An Encyclopaedia of Human Resource Management Edward Elgar
- Employability In Johnstone S & Wilkinson A (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Human Resource Management Edward Elgar
- Introduction to The Governance of Labour Administration In Heyes J & Rychly L (Ed.), The Governance of Labour Administration: Reforms, Innovations and Challenges (pp. 1-21). Edward Elgar and ILO
- Labour Markets in Post-Crisis Europe: Liberalisation, Deregulation, Precarisation In Greve B (Ed.), Austerity, Populism and the Welfare State (pp. 344-359). Edward Elgar
- Labour, Work and Employment in the Age of Globalized Neo-Liberalism In Gall G (Ed.), Handbook of the Politics of Labour, Work and Employment (pp. 88-105). Edward Elgar Publishing
- Labour, Work and Employment in the age of Globalized Neoliberalism In Gall G (Ed.), Handbook of the Politics of Labour, Work and Employment Edward Elgar Publishing
- Economic and labour market change and policies: Before and beyond austerity in Europe In Marino S, Roosblad J & Penninx R (Ed.), Trade Unions and Migrant Workers: New Contexts and Challenges in Europe (pp. 23-42).
- Supporting, Recruiting and Organising Migrant Workers in Ireland and the United Kingdom: A Review of Trade Union Practices, EU Labour Migration in Troubled Times (pp. 229-252). Routledge
- EU labour migration: Government and social partner policies in the UK, EU Labour Migration since Enlargement: Trends, Impacts and Policies (pp. 51-68).
- Employment Protection Legislation and the Growth Crisis, The British Growth Crisis
- Varieties of Capitalism Reconsidered: Learning from the Great Recession and its Aftermath In Hauptmeier M & Vidal M (Ed.), The Comparative Political Economy of Work and Employment Relations (pp. 33-51). Palgrave
- Conclusion In Heyes J & Rychly L (Ed.), Labour Administration in Uncertain Times (pp. 245-254). Edward Elgar Publishing and ILO
- Labour policy and administration in a time of crisis In Heyes J & Rychly L (Ed.), Labour Administration in Uncertain Times (pp. 46-65). Edward Elgar Publishing
- Introduction: The Origins and Development of Labour Administration In Heyes J & Rychly L (Ed.), Labour Administration in Uncertain Times (pp. 1-17). Edward Elgar and ILO
- EU labour migration: Government and social partner policies in the UK, EU Labour Migration Since Enlargement: Trends, Impacts and Policies (pp. 51-68).
- Supporting, Recruiting and Organizing Migrant Workers in Ireland and the UK: A Review of Trade Union Practices In Galcoczi B, Leschke J & Watt A (Ed.), Migration and Labour Markets in Troubled Times: Skills Mismatch, Return Migration and Policy Responses. (pp. 211-234). Ashgate
- Bargaining for training: Converging or diverging interests?, The Role of Collective Bargaining in the Global Economy: Negotiating for Social Justice (pp. 76-106).
- The state and employment relations, Research Handbook on the Future of Work and Employment Relations (pp. 69-90).
- The State and Employment Relations In Townsend K & Wilkinson A (Ed.), The Edward Elgar Research Handbook on Work and Employment Relations. (pp. 69-90). Edward Elgar
- The State, Business, and Training, The Oxford Handbook of Business and Government
- The State, Capital and Labour Relations in Crisis In Colling T & Terry M (Ed.), Industrial Relations: Theory and Practice (pp. 106-124). Wiley Blackwell
- EU labour migration: Government and social partner policies in the UK, EU Labour Migration since Enlargement: Trends, Impacts and Policies (pp. 51-68).
- Vocational Education and Training In Gold M (Ed.), Employment Policy in the European Union: Origins, Themes and Prospects (pp. 188-209). Palgrave Macmillan
- Workplace Industrial Relations and Training In Rainbird H (Ed.), Training in the Workplace (pp. 148-168). Basingstoke: Macmillan.
- Training and Development at an Agro-Chemical Plant In Mabey C, Skinner D & Clark T (Ed.), Experiencing Human Resource Management (pp. 97-112). Sage
Book reviews
- Self‐Employment as Precarious Work: A European Perspective, Edited by WietekeConen and JoopSchippers, 273 pp., ISBN: 978178811 502 5, Price £95. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 58(2), 473-474.
Reports
- Supporting Working Carers: How Employers and Employees can Benefit.
- The Impact of the National Living Wage on Businesses: Retail and Hospitality in Two English Cities
- Diagnostic Report on Bogus Self-Employment in Greece and Recommendations for Reforms
- Living On The Edge: The Experiences Of Insecure Work in The UK.
- New Developments and Trends in Undeclared Work within the Sharing/Collaborative Economy
- The Practices of Enforcement Bodies in Detecting and Preventing Bogus Self-Employment View this article in WRRO
- Comparative Developments in Labour Administration.
- Vocational Education and Training and the Great Recession: Supporting Young People in a Time of Crisis
- Tackling Unregistered Work Through Social Dialogue: The Turkish and European Experience
- The Changing Role of Labour Ministries: Influencing Labour, Employment and Social Policy
- Labour Ministries and Labour Administration in Transition: Recent Developments and Future Prospects
Working papers
- Comparative Developments in Labour Administration. International Labour Organisation Working Paper. View this article in WRRO
Dictionary/encyclopaedia entries
- Employability. In An Encyclopaedia of HRM. Edward Elgar.
Presentations
- Varieties of Liberalisation’. Labor and Employment Relations Association winter conference, Chicago, USA.
- Labour Market Policy in Europe:
Upholding Labour Standards in Liberal Market Economies. Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management conference, Washington DC, USA.
- "Labour market policy in Europe: Upholding labour standards in Liberal Market Economies".
- "Flexicurity in the EU”.
- "Labour Geography and labour inspection: opportunities for agency in the regulatory landscapes of South Africa and Ireland".
- Regulation, Supply Chains and the Informal Economy.
- Regulating the informal economy and upholding labour standards – contrasting approaches from the USA, the UK and Ireland. International Labour Process Conference, Berlin.
- Towards a Comparative Aanlysis of Labour Administration Systems. Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management conference, Miami, USA.
- "Towards a Comparative Analysis of Labour Administration Systems".
- "Upholding labour standards in Liberal Market Economies – Comparing approaches from the USA, the UK and Ireland".
- “Austicurity? Unpacking EU Labour Market Policy in the Aftermath of the Financial Crash”. LSE.
- Unpacking EU Labour Market Policy in the Aftermath of the Financial Crash. Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics (SASE) conference, LSE, London.
- "Job Creation in the UK: An Evaluation of the Record Since 2010”.
- “Where now for Flexicurity? Exploring EU labour market policy change pre and post the 2008 financial crisis”,. Sheffield University Management School.
- European labour market policies in the wake of the economic crisis: patterns of convergence and divergence in the EU. 33rd International Labour Process Conference, Athens.
- Shifting Patterns of Youth Employment in the EU-15. Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics (SASE) conference. Chicago, USA.
- Varieties of Capitalism Reconsidered: Learning from the Great Recession and its Aftermath. Intenational Labour Process Conference, Kings College London.
Other
- Toolkit: Extending Labour Inspection to the Informal Economy.
- Combining work and care: Carer leave and related employment policies in international context. Policy Press.
- Research group
- Teaching activities
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Jason has a strong commitment to providing students with an interesting and intellectually challenging learning experience. He has a substantial experience of leading and teaching courses on employment relations, HRM and research methods at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He currently contributes to the MGT6225: Doctoral Training in Management module for postgraduate research students.
He has contributed to the Faculty of Social Science’s Global Leadership Initiative (GLI) and has arranged for groups of students to attend meetings of the ILO’s governing body, held in Geneva.
His contribution to the GLI has been recognised through a Faculty of Social Science Learning & Teaching Award in 2015 and a Senate Award for Collaborative Activities in 2016.
- PhD Supervision
Jason is an experienced PhD supervisor. Applications for PhD study are encouraged in the broad field of Work and Employment and particularly in the following areas:
- Employment relations and political economy
- Labour market transitions
- Underemployment
- Work intensity
- The state and employment relations
- Employment protection legislation
- Governance and regulation of the labour market
- Low-paid work and precarious work
Jason is currently supervising: