Amazon? Uber? Deliveroo? Just Eat? What employment terms are your drivers on?

Uber dramatically changed its employment terms for drivers in the UK to comply with a Supreme Court ruling. Having been “self-employed” and therefore eligible for few benefits or guaranteed income, they will now be “employees” with a minimum wage, pension access and holiday pay.

It is being deemed a revolution in the gig economy, but what other rights are available to those who deliver to your door?

Deliveroo

Deliveroo riders are self-employed. They are allowed to sign on to other apps such as Uber Eats at the same time as being signed up to Deliveroo’s, meaning, the company says, they have more real flexibility than Uber drivers.

While logged on, Deliveroo riders can reject jobs or change their minds after accepting a job with no consequences - unlike Uber drivers who are rated and scored by passengers and can be removed from the platform accordingly.

Deliveroo riders’ status has been challenged twice in the High Court and on both occasions it was ruled that riders have the flexibility of self-employed workers although the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain is considering an appeal.

Employment lawyers say Deliveroo claim it is in a jam: if it offers more perks to riders, such as a pension, the courts could then say it is effectively acting like an employer, meaning it should pay minimum wage and make them employees. That, in turn, would arguably make it financially unviable to allow them the flexibility to work for other delivery firms, reject jobs and so on.

Uber Eats

Controversially, despite last night’s U-turn on Uber drivers, riders on Uber Eats remain as self-employed workers under similar conditions to Deliveroo’s.

The argument is that Uber Eats does not exercise the same degree of supervision and control over its riders as the Uber car service does over its drivers.

Just Eat

Riders are also mostly self-employed independent contractors although it recently announced it would offer employment contracts to some who want it.

This will give them hourly pay rather than pay-per-job and a guaranteed minimum wage and pension contributions.

It said at the time that this would hire 1000 workers on these contracts in London but rivals say that is a fraction of the overall number of Just Eat riders.