Hermes couriers entitled to workers’ rights

An Employment Tribunal has ruled that 65 Hermes couriers were workers and so, are entitled to receive workers’ rights such as National Minimum Wage and holiday pay. There will be a further Employment Tribunal hearing to calculate the amount of holiday pay and minimum wage owed. The ruling could create a flurry of tribunal claims as 14,500 Hermes couriers are engaged on the same contracts.

This is another case brought by the GMB union who were also involved in the Uber and Addison Lee rulings. GMB General Secretary, Tim Roache, said that “…it’s another nail in the coffin of the exploitative bogus self-employment model which is increasingly rife across the UK.”

Reportedly, a spokesman for Hermes has said they are likely to appeal the decision.

Aspire Comment

The common trend of these cases further highlight false self-employment and set an example which may encourage many others to follow suit by making claims at an Employment Tribunal. Therefore, it is important that contractual documentation reflects the reality of the situation to help mitigate worker-led issues and tribunal claims that could lead to hefty back pay claims.

If you are worried about your engagement with self-employed workers, feel to give one of the Aspire team a call to discuss how we can help you.