IPSE responds to Uber appeal decision
- 10 Nov 2017
IPSE has expressed surprise that an employment appeal tribunal did not give due consideration to the fact that drivers choose when and how long they work for when it upheld an earlier decision. The tribunal found that two drivers who obtained work through the Uber app should be granted ‘worker’ employment status.
Chris Bryce, IPSE CEO, said: “It is astonishing that the employment tribunal granted the two drivers worker status. A key element of being a worker is having to turn up for work even if you don’t want to. This is clearly not the case with people who drive through Uber – they choose when and how long they work for by logging on or off the app.
“The growing number of employment tribunals linked to the gig economy shows there is a fundamental lack of clarity over what it means to work on your own behalf. The government needs to seriously consider introducing a statutory definition of self-employment. That would bring greater certainty and reduce the need for further tribunals. This would help both individuals unsure of their status and companies wishing to engage people on a self-employed basis.
“People driving through the Uber app, really value the flexibility they have using platform based working. IPSE is concerned that ruling drivers as workers would hit the flexibility they seek out. IPSE's 5,500 driver members constantly tell us they enjoy that flexibility and prefer to be self-employed.”
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