Category: flexible working
Taking stock of the gig economy: lessons for technology companies – Panopticon
‘A combination of high profile cases and policy announcements about the so-called “gig economy” has a particular resonance for technology companies. Technological change has transformed the labour market, which has given added urgency to finding better solutions to three much older problems:
– How should we best draw the line between the independent contractors, workers and employees?
– Should the self-employed and employees be taxed differently?
– How should personal service companies be treated for tax purposes?’
Panopticon, 2nd January 2018
Source: www.technology-law-blog.co.uk
Gig economy reform – how to balance innovation and the protection of workers – Technology Law Update
‘The position of workers in the gig economy, those on zero hours contracts and agency workers has been the focus of political attention recently. While these models provide valuable flexibility to businesses, especially those using innovative technology like using an app or a website to hire someone for a particular task, they can leave individuals with insecure incomes and future prospects, and unprotected from exploitative companies. They can also leave the most responsible businesses at a disadvantage.’
Technology Law Update, 23rd November 2017
Source: www.technology-law-blog.co.uk
Matthew Taylor report: Government should look at reducing the cost of employment tribunal fees – The Independent
‘Government officials should look at reducing the cost of employment tribunal fees, according to Matthew Taylor, who today publishes a long-awaited review into employment rights of workers in the gig economy.’
The Independent, 11th July 2017
Source: www.independent.co.uk
UK minimum wage law ‘should cover more self-employed workers’ – The Guardian
‘The government should step in to help those suffering from extreme low pay by extending minimum wage legislation so that it covers minicab drivers and other parts of the 4.8 million-strong self-employed workforce, a thinktank has urged.’
The Guardian, 4th July 2017
Source: www.theguardian.com
Uber granted right to appeal against ruling on UK drivers’ rights – The Guardian
‘Uber has been granted the right to appeal against last year’s landmark ruling that its UK minicab drivers should be treated as employed workers with rights to the minimum wage and sick pay.’
The Guardian, 19th April 2017
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Plumbing the depths of employment status as the gig economy gathers steam – Cloisters
‘Akua Reindorf analyses Pimlico Plumbers v Smith in the Court of Appeal and provides a round-up of employment status reports and inquiries.’
Cloisters, 10th February 2017
Source: www.cloisters.com
Equal pay is still far-off for Britain, where the gender gap narrows at a glacial pace – The Guardian
‘New disclosure rules and more free childcare are to be welcomed, but the government must do more to ensure women earn the same as men.’
The Guardian, 6th November 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Uber drivers: legal documentation has little impact on relationship between worker and engager, expert says – OUT-LAW.com
‘Much has been made of the new flexibilities the so-called ‘gig economy’ offers to businesses and workers. However, whether these flexibilities truly exist will depend on the actual relationship between the parties, as last week’s decision against Uber shows.’
OUT-LAW.com, 31st October 2016
Source: www.out-law.com
Zero-hours contracts used far beyond short-term work, research says – The Guardian
‘More than two-thirds of zero-hours workers aged over 25 have been with the same employer for more than a year, highlighting concerns that the insecure arrangements have become a permanent feature of working life for thousands of people.’
The Guardian, 8th September 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Fifth of women harassed at work over pregnancy or flexible hours, report finds – The Guardian
‘Three-quarters of pregnant women and new mothers experience discrimination at work and one in nine lose their job as a result, government-commissioned research has found.’
The Guardian, 22nd March 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Ageing population will change demand for legal services, says 2025 report – Legal Futures
‘Britain’s changing demographics will mean a huge shift in demand for legal services, towards managing the wealth and lives of the growing proportion of elderly people in the population, according to a study forecasting legal needs in 2025.’
Legal Futures, 14th March 2016
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
2014 Update: Focusing on Legal Status, Disability and Flexible Working – Cloisters
‘Once employment protection was focused upon conventional patterns of work – open-ended, regular full-time jobs with a single employer. Our norms have now moved on. Recent developments reflect this. It has never been more important to pinpoint the underlying prerequisites for the existence of a contract of employment.’
Cloisters, 20th November 2014
Source: www.cloisters.com
