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ARTICLE · 11 NOVEMBER 2026

Autonomy Or Dependence? The Reality Of Working For A Single Client In The Digital Sector

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Pietro Ichino examines how economic dependence shapes labour protections in the digital age, questioning whether continuous connection to company IT systems alone justifies worker protections. The analysis explores how bargaining power, income reliance, and skill transferability interact to determine vulnerability in modern working relationships.

ItalyEmployment and HR
Andrea Sticca
Andrea Sticca
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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 reflectson 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 thefreedom 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.

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