Il contributo è destinato alla pubblicazione all’interno dell’opera collettanea Contratto di rete e diritto del lavoro, a cura di G. Zilio Grandi e M. Biasi, in corso di pubblicazione per i tipi di Cedam.

The article copes with the latest answers given by the Italian Legislator to the changes in labour organization and production methods that led to the development of the firm networks (now regulated by Law Decree n. 5/2009, and subsequent amendments). After a brief recap on the complex questions regarding the “post-modern” notion of the employer, the A. focuses primarily on the concepts of “co-employment” (“codatorialità”) and “joint-employment” (“assunzione congiunta”) under Article 30, par. 4-ter Legislative Decree 276/2003 and Article 31, par. 3-bis Legislative Decree n. 276/2003, highlighting the convergences and divergences between the two new forms of employment. A special remark is given to the peculiar role of the employee within an “enlarged firm”, which seems to require an additional protection compared to the worker employed in a “normal”, bilateral employment relationship. At the very end, the A. expresses a mildly skeptical prediction on the future impact of the above mentioned rules, depending largely on how (and if) the firm networks will decide to give the new instruments a try.