Uber drivers are workers entitled to holiday pay, Supreme Court rules in landmark gig economy decision
The IndependentFor free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Uber drivers must be treated as workers, not self-employed contractors, the Supreme Court has ruled in a landmark decision which could have far-reaching implications for millions of people in the UK’s gig economy. Recommended London cabbies plan to sue Uber for damages Uber said it had made substantial changes to its app since 2016 when the case began and the court’s decision applied only to a “small number” of drivers. Alexandra Mizzi, legal director at law firm Howard Kennedy, said: “Businesses can’t have it both ways; if they want to protect their brand through tight quality control, it’s more difficult to claim that the individuals providing the service are self-employed.” The decision means that Uber will have to consider its drivers workers from when they log into the company’s app until they log off, not just when they have a passenger in their car. Jamie Heywood, Uber’s manager for northern and eastern Europe, said: “We respect the court’s decision which focused on a small number of drivers who used the Uber app in 2016.