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Description

On 19 April 2022 Deliveroo was found guilty of concealing and underreporting employment of workers. The company was given the maximum fine of €375,000 and has been ordered to pay each of the trade union's plaintiffs €50,000 in damages. Further penalties were given to two former General Managers, including a €30,000 fine each, a 12-month suspended prison sentence and five year suspension from running a business. Deliveroo has been ordered to declare this court case and the details of the case on its website for one month. This is the first criminal trial to impact the gig economy in France; previous rulings from the Court of Cassation have reclassified platform work as having a standard employment relationship.

Julie Ferrua, National Secretary of the Solidaires Trade Union Federation, has stated this as a positive step for delivery riders working for platforms as it is further confirmation that platform-based work requires an employment contract with standard terms and conditions. Delveroo has announced it is considering plans to appeal and does not agree with the ruling, stating that the ruling has been taken without considering changes to Deliveroo's operating model.

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Additional metadata

Keywords

platform characteristics and business model, employment status, regulatory changes

Actors

Platform, Employee organisation, Court

Sector

Transportation and storage

Sources

• France: court fines Deliveroo for undocumented ‘concealed’ employment (19 April 2022)
• French Court Fines Deliveroo For 'Undeclared Labour' (19 April 2022)

Related initiative

• Court judgement on employment status (Deliveroo)

  In April 2021, the Paris Court of Appeal rejected a Deliveroo rider’s request for the reclassification of his service contract with the company as an employment contract. The Court reasoned …

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