勞動法律的立法宗旨是促進勞動權益。但由於立法當時對適用對象的限制，許多勞工至今仍無法獲得基本權益的保障。以《勞動基準法》為例，該法的適用對象是限定有固定且單一雇主的典型受僱勞工，於是，包括非典型僱用工作型態的勞工階級、屬於責任制工作的受僱者、與外籍基層勞工等均被排除。由於許多其他勞動法律採行《勞動基準法》的適用規定，不適用《勞動基準法》的結果也使得被排除的勞動者喪失其他權益，如退休金或職業傷害的賠償。本文指出，《勞動基準法》制訂的背景是工業資本主義盛行的時期。如今在全球化資本主義之下，資方不斷擴大僱用彈性以降低生產成本，僱用型態趨於非典型化。許多勞工終身的職業生涯已非單一工作型態，而是流轉於典型或非典型僱用、自僱或受僱、失業或退出勞動市場之間。勞動者要面對的就業和經濟風險愈來愈高、勞動階級比從前更加弱勢，但勞動法律制度卻沒有因應轉變、以致於失去保障基本勞動權益的立法宗旨。本文進一步從人權的觀點，論證台灣的勞動法律需要超脫現有關於身分限定的架構，摒除僱用型態的限制、超脫生產性與再生產性勞動的界線、制度性地提供全體勞動者（包括全職家務工作者和受刑人在內）基本的經濟和社會保障。勞動權是權利，而不是特定身分勞工才可以獲得的利益。這既是台灣政府簽署《經濟社會文化權利國際公約》後應該要履行的責任，也是面對全球化資本主義趨勢下必須要採行的勞工保護思維。

Due to the constraints of entitlements of worker’s status, even though labor laws, such as Labor Standards Act, provide basic labor rights, many workers are not eligible to be covered by the Act in Taiwan. This paper argues that the establishment of Labor Standards Act and other affiliated laws are originally designed for the interests of full-time, formal employees hired by one employer; especially for male workers in the manufacturing industry. Under the paradigm of class relations in industrial capitalism, non-regular workers (including day labors, family business workers, dispatched workers, and parttime workers), exempted employees, and those covered by other than labor insurance are excluded from the application of Labor Standards Act. The practice of the labor laws ends serving for only part of the working class. This paper argues that labor rights are human rights and should be applied to all the employed workers, not limited by their employment status or nationalities. Under the development of global capitalism employment flexibility has been abused by capitalists in many creative ways. General working conditions of standard workers are deteriorating. Most workers can hardly stay in one position or even one employment status in their life-long career. The turnovers between standard and non-standard status, between self-employed and being employed, in job markets and unemployed or withdrawing from labor markets are becoming more frequent. Labor is facing more and more hazards in their career without institutional support for them to avoid falling into no job or no income. The state should provide basic economic and social rights to all workers regardless of their employment status, nationalities, and production or reproduction role. The results will also fulfill the commitments of Taiwanese government to sign up International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.