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Uber drivers are workers, rules Supreme Court

Published Feb 23, 2021

The Supreme Court has provided the final decision on a long-running dispute over the status of Uber’s drivers, and determined that they are workers. This means Uber drivers are entitled to holiday, sick pay and national minimum wage and has wider ramifications for the gig economy.

The judgement does not giver the Uber drivers ‘employee’ rights, such as the right to a redundancy payment or to claim unfair dismissal.

It is estimated that Uber could now be liable for payments to their workers averaging £12,000 to cover compensation for backdated holiday pay, sick pay and at least national minimum wage.

The drivers have successfully argued their case at each tier of the legal system. Uber had claimed the drivers were contractors not workers and the verdict of the Supreme Courts will have implications for a sector where 5.5 million people work.

This is the final stage of the legal process, meaning Uber cannot appeal the decision.

It is likely that the outcome will encourage others employed in similar gig economy roles to bring claims to enforce their rights as workers.

Source: Gavin Parrott