TechHR
ex
L&D
UNPLUGGED
Sphere
About Us • Contact Us
People Matters Logo
Login / Signup
People Matters Logo
Login / Signup
  • Current
  • Top Stories
  • News
  • Magazine
  • Research
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • Podcast

© Copyright People Matters Media Pte. Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

  • HotTopic
    LeadersSpeak
  • Strategy
    Leadership Csuite StrategicHR EmployeeRelations
  • Recruitment
    Employer Branding Appointments Permanent Hiring Recruitment
  • Performance
    Skilling PerformanceMgmt Compensation Benefits L&D Employee Engagement
  • Culture
    Culture Life@Work Diversity Watercooler SheMatters
  • Tech
    Technology HR Technology Funding & Investment Startups Metaverse
  • About Us
  • Advertise with us
  • Become a sponsor
  • Contact Us
  • Feedback
  • Submission Guidelines

Follow us:

Privacy Policy • Terms of Use

© Copyright People Matters Media Pte. Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

People Matters Logo
  • Current
  • Top Stories
  • News
  • Magazine
  • Research
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • Podcast
Login / Signup

Categories:

  • HotTopic
    LeadersSpeak
  • Strategy
    Leadership Csuite StrategicHR EmployeeRelations
  • Recruitment
    Employer Branding Appointments Permanent Hiring Recruitment
  • Performance
    Skilling PerformanceMgmt Compensation Benefits L&D Employee Engagement
  • Culture
    Culture Life@Work Diversity Watercooler SheMatters
  • Tech
    Technology HR Technology Funding & Investment Startups Metaverse
Uber grants employee status to UK drivers

News • 17th Mar 2021 • 2 Min Read

Uber grants employee status to UK drivers

Compensation & Benefits

Author: Mint Kang Mint Kang
1.5K Reads
Around 70,000 drivers will now be entitled to the national living wage and employment benefits. In this, the UK is joining some European Union countries that are cracking down on gig companies' treatment of workers.

Uber announced on March 16 that it is granting employee status to over 70,000 drivers across the UK with effect this week, slightly less than a month after the Supreme Court ruled that the ride-hailing company must treat its drivers as workers and not self-employed independent contractors as it has historically argued.

As employees, the thousands of drivers in the UK will be entitled to the national living wage of at least £8.91 per hour (US$12.37), benefits including paid leave and a pension, and employment rights such as break times and collective bargaining. They will not be considered full-time employees, however, and the ruling has not explored whether their wages will be entirely fixed or retain the variable component that makes the work potentially lucrative for some. Uber has claimed that drivers in the UK can make between £14-17 per hour depending on their location.

The ruling that forced this change dates back to a claim brought in 2016 by a group of 20 Uber drivers, which the company appealed for the next four years only to lose at every stage.

Uber has been fighting in multiple countries to keep its drivers considered self-employed for years, claiming that flexibility is more important to them than social protections such as employment rights or employee benefits. Detractors claim that the company is simply trying to suppress its costs and avoid paying taxes on transport fares earned.

Other countries, primarily in the European Union, have already forced Uber and other tech companies to start treating their gig workers as employees. Legislators in Spain and Italy targeted food delivery businesses such as UberEats and Deliveroo, while the state of California in the US, more ambitiously, went for the entire sector with a law specifically targeting the relationship between gig economy companies and workers.

The US law ultimately failed, though, as Uber and other gig companies—Postmate, Lyft, and DoorDash—banded together to first sue for exemption from the bill, then launch a public ballot to get them exempted. The companies lost the lawsuit but won the ballot, meaning that Uber's US drivers are unlikely to see the same rights and benefits as their UK counterparts any time soon.

Read More

Did you find this article helpful?


You Might Also Like

The science of fair pay: Who pays workers better?

NEWS • 14th Mar 2023 • 2 Min Read

The science of fair pay: Who pays workers better?

Compensation & Benefits
Do ethnic minorities earn less than white peers?

NEWS • 13th Mar 2023 • 2 Min Read

Do ethnic minorities earn less than white peers?

Compensation & BenefitsDiversity
Gen Z Australians are struggling financially

NEWS • 13th Feb 2023 • 2 Min Read

Gen Z Australians are struggling financially

Compensation & Benefits
NEXT STORY: Former Australian Finance Minister elected new OECD Secretary-General

Trending Stories

  • design-thinking-hr

    Move over, rock stars! Here's what people look for in teams

  • design-thinking-hr

    Here's what Bill Gates would advise his younger self

  • design-thinking-hr

    Top 10 hottest jobs in Australia 2023

  • design-thinking-hr

    Power to the people? How workplace dynamics are shifting

People Matters Logo

Follow us:

Join our mailing list:

By clicking “Subscribe” button above, you are accepting our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Company:

  • About Us
  • Advertise with us
  • Become a sponsor
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Contact:

  • Contact Us
  • Feedback
  • Submission Guidelines

© Copyright People Matters Media Pte. Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Get the latest Articles, Insight, News & Trends from the world of Talent & Work. Subscribe now!
×

How likely are you to recommend our content to a friend or colleague?

01
10
Selected Score :
People Matters Logo

Welcome Back!

Enter your registered email address to login

Not a user yet? Lets get you signed up!

A 5 digit OTP has been sent to your email address.

This is so we know it's you. Haven't received it yet? Resend the email or then change your email ID.

People Matters Logo

Welcome! Let's get you signed up...

Starting with the absolulte basics.

Already a user? Go ahead and login!

A 5 digit OTP has been sent to your email address.

This is so we know it's you. Haven't received it yet? Resend the email or then change your email ID.

Let's get to know you better

We'll never share your details with anyone, pinky swear.

And lastly...

Your official designation and company name.