Employment tribunal rules against Addison Lee in employment status case
07 August 2017
The London Central Employment Tribunal has ruled that a former cycle courier who worked for car and courier organisation Addison Lee was employed as a worker, not as an independent contractor, and should have been entitled to employment rights including holiday pay and the national minimum wage.
Employee Benefits has reported on the case where Christopher Gascoigne, who worked for Addison Lee as a cycle courier for seven years, contended that he should be classified as a worker rather than an independent contractor, and was therefore entitled to receive holiday pay, the national minimum wage, and protection against discrimination.
Gascoigne’s claim was supported by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB).
Following the tribunal’s ruling, the amount of holiday pay owed to Gascoigne by Addison Lee will be decided at a later hearing.
A spokesperson for Addison Lee said that they are disappointed with the ruling because they have always had, and are committed to maintaining, a flexible and fair relationship with cycle couriers and that this is a single judgement based on one pushbike courier and the circumstances of his particular relationship with Addison Lee in March 2016.
Conversely the general secretary at the IWGB said that the judgement once again proves their point that the law is clear and employers in the so-called gig-economy have been choosing to unlawfully deprive their workers of rights.
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