Addison Lee case another example of gig economy confusion, says IPSE

After Addison Lee were refused an appeal on the decision that their drivers are workers, the IPSE has said this is another sign that the ‘government must urgently step in on the confusion in the gig economy’.

Addison Lee had appealed against the judgement of a 2017 Employment Tribunal case that found their drivers were workers, but the Court of Appeal found that the company’s drivers are deemed as workers and are therefore entitled to the national minimum wage and holiday pay.

Derek Cribb, CEO of IPSE, commented, “The Addison Lee judgement is yet another sign after the Uber case that the government must urgently step in on the confusion in the gig economy. The gig economy is a tangled mix not only of people who should truly be categorised as workers, but also a very large number of legitimately self-employed people who rely on the flexibility that freelancing offers.

“Both to restore the rights of exploited workers and also to secure freedom and flexibility for legitimately self-employed people, we urge the government to write into law a clear definition of self-employment. This is the true source of the confusion in the gig economy: that while there is a definition of employee and worker status in UK law, there is still no clear definition of who exactly is self-employed. We cannot continue in a situation where the only way to define self-employment is through court case after court case.”

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