Uber to Pay Drivers Minimum Wage, Holiday Pay & Pensions

After losing it’s lengthy Supreme Court battle just less than one month ago, Uber have announced it will give its 70,000 UK drivers a guaranteed minimum wage, holiday pay and pensions.

Last month we confirmed Uber’s lengthy legal battle to overturn the 2016 Employment Tribunal (ET) decision had finally came to an end when the Supreme Court unanimously ruled against them and concluded drivers should be classed as workers, not independent third-party contractors – https://employmentlawservices.com/uber-loses-landmark-supreme-court-battle-over-workers-rights/

In the weeks following the Supreme Court’s ruling, Uber have carefully considered their position and announced yesterday that it will give its 70,000 UK drivers guaranteed minimum wage, holiday pay and pensions. The taxi company confirmed that all drivers can expect to earn at least the National Living Wage for over-25s, irrespective of age, after accepting a trip request and after expenses, that they will be entitled to paid holiday based on 12.07% of their earnings, which will be paid on a fortnightly basis, that they will also be enrolled into a pension plan automatically, with contributions from Uber, that they will continue to receive free insurance in case of sickness or injury as well as parental payments, which have been in place for all drivers since 2018 and retain the freedom to choose if, when and where they drive.

It will be interesting to see if Uber will extend this decision to its food delivery business, Uber Eats, which remains unaffected by this decision.

The Supreme Court ruling in this case was always going to have far-reaching implications for millions of people working in the gig economy and the companies that employee them, but only time will tell whether other employers operating in the gig economy will follow Uber’s lead.