A UK employment tribunal has ruled that couriers working for Hermes, the delivery firm, are not self employed and should be classified as workers.
In yet another victory for the gig economy, which recently saw Pimlico Plumbers lose a similar battle, the employment tribunal ruled that Hermes couriers are entitled to receive the minimum wage and holiday pay, and to reclaim any unlawful deductions from their wages, taken due to their incorrect classification as self employed.
Frank Field, who chairs the House of Commons Works and Pension Committee and is currently involved with an inquiry into the employment status of Deliveroo couriers, described the tribunal decision as being “among the most substantial judicial interventions ever to support vulnerable workers in this country.”
A spokesperson for Hermes says: “We will carefully review the tribunal’s decision, but we are likely to appeal it given that it goes against previous decisions, our understanding of the witness evidence and what we believe the law to be.”
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