Tilburg Law School is seeking an enthusiastic colleague for the position PhD candidate in the Department of Private, Business & Labour Law to work at the intersection of corporate sustainability, labour law and human rights.

Would you like to delve deep into the intricacies of labour law, contribute to groundbreaking research, and shape the future of work? If you have a master’s degree in law, a keen interest in (international) labour rights, corporate sustainability, and a desire to make a significant impact in the lives of workers, we invite you to apply as a PhD researcher at Tilburg Law School.

The PhD candidate will contribute to the larger research agenda “Towards Sustainable Social Justice – The Future of Human Rights at Work”, which looks at the interplay between sustainable development, labour law, and corporate responsibility. This project is embedded in the departmental Signature Plan Connecting Responsible Organisations, looking at how economic development must resonate with sustainable development.

The objective of sustainable development is to strike a balance between environmental, social, and economic interests and to address current global challenges without compromising the prospects of future generations to address theirs. Core workers’ rights are an essential and explicit component of the social (justice) dimension of sustainability. These rights, defined as fundamental labour standards (FLS), were developed primarily within the framework of the International Labour Organization (ILO), and presently cover five areas that are designated as fundamental principles and rights at work (FPRW): (1) child labour; (2) forced labour; (3) non-discrimination; (4) freedom of association; and, since June 2022, (5) occupational safety and health. Importantly, the FLS are increasingly incorporated in different public and private regulatory regimes, such as human rights treaties, free trade agreements, EU directives, corporate codes of conduct, global framework agreements, UN initiatives such as the UN Global Compact, and other sustainability related instruments. Of particular importance are current legislative developments in the European Union and its member states (mandatory due diligence legislation) that impose duties on the private sector to secure respect for FLS related to their business activities, including their Global Value Chains (GVCs).

The addition of occupational safety and health (OSH) in 2022 to the FPRW indicates that the catalogue of Fundamental Labour Standards is not necessarily an exhaustive one and that it may be expanded when required by societal dynamics. Within the institutional framework of the ILO, recognition as FPRW provides a boost to the ratification rate of the corollary fundamental conventions and entails a special follow-up mechanism that obliges member states to report on why they have not ratified the FLS. Outside the ILO, many public and private instruments refer directly to either the FPRW as a whole or the individual FLS. Identification of labour standards as fundamental therefore has immediate implications instruments incorporating the FPRW.

With a view to uncover how this expansion of FPRW affects the protection of workers in GVCs, this project will therefore assess the value and impact of FLS and identify and investigate possible adjacent or peripheral labour rights connected to the current FLS at the International, EU, and domestic level in relation to corporate sustainability. Further, it would examine whether this framework of ‘human rights at work’ could or should be expanded further? And if so, which rights would be likely candidates for incorporation, and on which (normative) grounds (e.g. their constitutional basis in ILO law, incorporation in core UN Human Rights Treaties)? To address these issues, the following central research question is posed:

Which labour standards outside the framework of fundamental principles and rights at work could be identified as centrally important workers’ rights that could (potentially) complement the current catalogue of fundamental labour standards in relation to corporate sustainability requirements?

To answer the main research question posed above, the PhD researcher can examine interrelated sub-themes, primarily by means of doctrinal, comparative, and/or critical legal research methodologies on instruments at the international, EU, national and company-level. Doctrinally, the research needs to provide an assessment of the impact that recognition of a labour standard as ‘fundamental’ has within and outside the context of the ILO, in particular in relation to corporate sustainability instruments, and how this classification as ‘fundamental’ is achieved normatively. It can then (comparatively) study how the expansion of FLS is/can be reflected in various public and private corporate responsibility instruments like mandatory human rights due diligence legislation, soft laws, and global framework agreements. The objective is to potentially offer suggestions for further expansion of the catalogue of fundamental principles and rights at work, and explain why. Please note that within the project the researcher will enjoy a large degree of freedom to incorporate his/her own input, ideas, and perspectives. 

Tilburg University is curious about how you can contribute to our research, education, impact, and to the team you will be part of. Therefore, we would like to get the best possible picture of your knowledge, insight, skills, and personality. Below you can find the qualifications we consider important for the position.

The candidate:

• holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in law, preferably with a focus on related areas like (international) labour law, public international law, or business and human rights;
• has a demonstratable interest in corporate sustainability;
• has an excellent written and spoken command of English;
• demonstrates scientific integrity;
• contributes to an open and inclusive organizational culture.

Tilburg University as an employer
Tilburg University offers excellent employment conditions with attention to flexibility and room for (personal) development. We recognize and reward our employees and encourage the use of talents and strengths.

Tilburg University is committed to an open and inclusive culture, embracing diversity, and encouraging the mutual integration of groups of staff and students. We create equal opportunities for all our staff and students so that everyone feels at home in our university community.

We work in a vibrant and lively (work) environment on our beautiful campus, close to the forest and easily accessible by public transport. We are committed to a sustainable society and challenge you to make an active contribution to this. 

What do we offer?
For this position, we offer:

• A position based on 0,8 - 1,0 fte (32-40 hours per week);
• It is a vacancy for 4 years. You will initially be appointed for a fixed period of 16 months with a statutory probationary period of two months. After 12 months, an evaluation will take place. If the performance evaluation is positive, your employment agreement will be extended for the remaining period of 32 months.
• A starting salary of € 2.770,= gross per month for full-time employment, based on UFO profile PhD candidate and salary scale P of the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. Tilburg University uses a neutral remuneration system for salary scaling;
• You are entitled to a vacation allowance of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3% of your gross annual income. If you work 40 hours per week, you will receive 41 paid days of leave per year;
• Full reimbursement of commuting expenses for sustainable travel: walking, biking and public transportation;
• an Options Model for employment conditions and an excellent reimbursement of moving expenses;
• Employees from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a tax-free allowance of 30/20/10% of their taxable wages. We will apply for this reimbursement for you;
• All employees of the university are covered by the so-called General Pension Fund for Public Employers (Stichting Pensioenfonds ABP);
• Various training courses, for example in the areas of leadership skills, personal effectiveness, and career development;
• A wide range of amenities and facilities and various arrangements to create an optimal work-life balance.

Please visit working at Tilburg University for more information on our terms of employment. 

Tilburg University

Tilburg University's motto is Understanding Society. Based on this vision, our more than 2,800 employees conduct research, inspire more than 19,000 students of 110 nationalities, and bring people from different disciplines and organizations together to learn from each other. In this way, we want to contribute to solving complex social issues. In doing so, we work from the fields of economics, business and entrepreneurship, social and behavioral sciences, law and public administration, humanities and digital sciences, and theology. We seek the connection between the various disciplines to find solutions to the major issues we face as a society. Our students are educated to become responsible and entrepreneurial thinkers, driven by solidarity, a sense of responsibility, and empathy, who are able to influence and give direction to a rapidly changing society in an innovative way. Tilburg University has a culture of collaboration and co-creation, at local, regional, national, and international level.

Since its founding in 1963, Tilburg Law School has become one of the leading law schools in Europe. Through top research and the provision of high-quality university education, the School contributes to society. Tilburg Law School is organized into five Departments: Public Law and Governance; Law, Technology, Markets and Society; Private, Business and Labour Law; the Fiscal Institute Tilburg; and Criminal Law. The mission of the School is to understand and improve the role of law and public administration in addressing the social problems of today and tomorrow. Through research and education, our scholars contribute to that mission. 

More than 4,000 students pursue a Bachelor's, pre-Master's or Master's degree at Tilburg Law School. Through this education, we train students in law, public administration, and data science. The Tilburg Educational Profile (TEP) is unique in the Netherlands. Central to it are three core concepts: knowledge, skill and character. A university education provides students with the latest substantive knowledge and trains them to be critical thinkers and resilient professionals. In addition, the School is committed to innovative educational concepts and, partly in response to the coronavirus crisis, has invested heavily in the quality of online education and in innovative didactic tools to make and keep students inquisitive. 

Tilburg Law School's research is highly regarded nationally and internationally. The Tilburg Law School Departments work closely together in their research in four signature research programs: 1) Global Law and Governance; 2) Law and Security; 3) Connecting Organizations; and 4) Regulating Socio-Technical Change. 

The Department of Private, Business & Labour Law (PBLL) consists of approximately a hundred researchers, lecturers, and staff engaged in education and research in Private Law in its broadest sense. The inspiring and open culture makes working here a pleasure. 
You will be part of an enthusiastic team of experienced lecturers who will guide you through everything that is involved in providing (online) education. In addition, a knowledgeable support team is ready to assist you with all practical matters related to providing education.