The GMB union have started legal action to obtain full employment rights for workers conducting Amazon deliveries.
The GMB are arguing that the delivery drivers are in fact defacto employees and have been classified as self employed to save on costs legal responsibilities. This follows a string of other legal cases where unions and individuals have filed cases against “gig economy companies” arguing individuals have been incorrectly classified as self employed and denied employment rights.
Undoubtedly their are disadvantages in self employed status, such as:
- Lack of employment rigths
- No sick pay
- No holiday pay
- insecure work
However when conducted well, some people genuinely benefit from self employed status as the enjoy the freedom and flexibility it offers.
Here are some key pointers that can help you identify whether a position is genuinely self employed:
- Does the person take direct instructions from you?
- Does the person work for you regularly ?
- Does the person wear your company uniform ?
- Do you instruct the person when and where to work ?
- Can the person refuse work without penalties or send a substitute?
Determining the correct employment status is both morally and legally important additional can be found on the government website here.