Worker status claims
Have you been told you’re self-employed, a contractor or a franchisee? We are investigating whether some people may have worker or employee status and be missing out on employment rights and protections.
The wording used in a contract does not always reflect the reality of a working relationship. What matters is how the arrangement operates in practice.
Does this sound familiar?
You have to accept work through a particular platform
Someone else decides how work is allocated
You are required to follow company rules or processes
You have limited control over your pay or the price charged for your work
You cannot genuinely send someone else to do the work in your place
Deductions are taken from your pay
You are expected to carry out the work in a particular way
If any of these situations apply to you, the fact that your contract describes you as self-employed may not determine your legal status. Depending on how the arrangement operates in practice, you may have worker or employee status and rights including paid holiday and the National Minimum Wage.
Being described as self-employed does not necessarily mean that you are self-employed in law. What matters is how the working relationship operates in practice.
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What happens next?
Give us a short summary of your role and working arrangements.
We may contact you to ask for more detail or discuss relevant documents you hold.
Our team will explain next steps
If the information supports further investigation, we will explain what that means.
There is no obligation to proceed.
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Tell us about your experience
These matters reflect our experience of investigating and pursuing worker-status and workers’ rights claims. Where companies fail to respect workers’ rights, we seek to hold them to account.
Why choose Leigh Day?
Landmark workers’ rights cases
Leigh Day has acted in some of the UK’s most significant gig economy legal challenges, contributing to important developments in workers’ rights.
Thousands of workers represented
Our team has represented large groups of drivers, couriers, and other gig economy workers seeking recognition of their legal status and related workplace rights.
Experts in complex employment claims
From employment status disputes to claims concerning paid holiday and the National Minimum Wage, Leigh Day has extensive experience of handling complex workers’ rights and group claims.
Experienced in worker status and group claims.
Dozens of delivery drivers join legal claim against Royal Mail-operated eCourier over workers’ rights
Forty-six eCourier drivers are taking legal action against the Royal Mail-owned courier service over their employment status
Gig economy claim launched on behalf of Royal Mail-operated eCourier drivers over workers’ rights
Drivers working for eCourier have launched a group legal claim arguing that they have been unlawfully denied workers’ rights by being misclassified as self-employed independent contractors.
Bolt drivers win ruling that they are workers in legal claim believed to be worth more than £200 million
Thousands of Bolt drivers have won their legal claim to be classed as workers, giving them rights that include paid holiday and to be paid at least the minimum wage.
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Tell us about your experience
Frequently asked questions
The gig economy is a way of working where people take on short tasks, jobs, or shifts, often through an app or online platform. Couriers, delivery drivers, private hire drivers, and some tradespeople often work this way. You may be paid per job, per delivery, or per shift.
Possibly, yes. Being called “self-employed” does not necessarily mean that you are self-employed in law. What matters is how the working relationship operates in practice.
Relevant factors may include who controls the work, how pay is set, and whether you must perform the work personally.
“Worker” is a legal status that can give someone rights including the National Minimum Wage and paid holiday. Whether someone is a worker depends on the contractual arrangements and how the relationship operates in practice. In the UK, there are three main types:
Employee, with the widest range of employment rights
Worker, with certain important rights including minimum wage and paid holiday
Self-employed, generally without employee or worker rights in relation to the client
Some people described as self-employed may, depending on how their arrangements operate in practice, have worker or employee status. Establishing the correct status can make an important difference to their pay and workplace rights.
We can look into concerns where the same issue may be affecting a group of workers in the same role or business, such as:
- Being paid less than the National Minimum Wage
- Not receiving holiday pay
- Money being taken out of your pay unfairly
- Contracts that do not match how you really work
No. There is no charge for making an initial enquiry, whether you are personally affected or have information about a wider group facing the same issue.
If we think we may be able to assist, we will explain the possible next steps, how we work, any costs and the available funding arrangements before you decide whether to proceed. There is no obligation to become our client or bring a claim.
We will treat the information you provide sensitively and in accordance with our privacy policy. We will not contact the company you work or worked for about your enquiry without discussing this with you first.
Possibly. You may still be able to bring a claim even if you no longer work there. Strict time limits can apply, so you should contact us as soon as possible.
Yes. We welcome enquiries from everyone. Please let us know if you require language support and we will consider what assistance may be available.
Language-support arrangements will depend on individual circumstances and the support we can provide, so they cannot be guaranteed.
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Tell us about your experience
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Tell us about your experience.
Please give us a brief outline. Please do not upload documents at this stage. If appropriate, our legal team will explain how they can be provided securely.
If you are willing to speak with our legal team, please complete the short form below. There is no obligation to become our client and providing information does not commit you to bringing a claim.
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