In March 2017, five cyclists, motorcyclists and van drivers who carry emergency blood to hospitals and samples to laboratories launched a claim challenging their self-employed status, backed by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB).
Last week The Doctors Laboratory (TDL) conceded that these five couriers are in fact workers, however notably did not confirm whether they would repay holiday pay owed to the workers. This concession of worker status follows a similar concession by eCourier, which recently admitted to wrongly classifying couriers as self-employed contractors rather than workers.
This is the latest development in the increasing number of gig economy employment status cases. The recent moves by eCourier and TDL in conceding worker status show the momentum that is gathering behind such cases and that companies are now seemingly prepared to pre-empt a tribunal ruling of worker status. The general secretary of IWGB, Jason Moyer-Lee, went as far as saying that it shows that "worker status is an inevitability in the gig economy". Interestingly IWGB is going to continue its case against TDL and will argue that the couriers are in fact employees, not just workers, in an attempt to secure them the guaranteed additional benefits (such as protection against unfair dismissal) that such a classification would bring.
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