Implications Of Worker Status - A Guide For Companies

The modern workforce is complex. Many different models exist to facilitate new ways of working. The rise of the "gig economy" has driven an increase in casual work and many companies no longer want employees, they want a ready and willing pool of self-employed contractors to minimise operating costs and ensure maximum flexibility.

However, it's clear from the current legal and political climate that companies operating this way will face increased scrutiny. Earlier this year, the Government published an independent review (The Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices). This explores the concept of 'Good Work' and questions whether the current legal framework provides adequate protection for a vulnerable workforce.  Consistent with this, there is a wave of case law on 'worker' status. The trend in these cases is that, despite being labelled as 'self-employed', individuals are in fact held to be workers so entitled to worker rights. The Uber decision released by the