Gig economy workers set for greater protections

Members of the European Parliament voted to approve minimum rights for workers in the so-called gig economy, with casual and short-term employment set to be protected by new EU legislation.

This gig economy is a growing working environment that has enabled employers to offer flexible working hours in the form of short-term contracts or ad-hoc freelance work, rather than offering permanent employment.

The new law outlines a minimum set of workers’ rights for gig economy workers in Ireland and the rest of the EU, providing they work at least three hours per week and 12 hours per four weeks on average.

Enrique Calvet Chambon, Spanish Independent MEP and champion of this new legislation, called the new directive a huge step towards the implementation of the “European pillar of social rights”.

“All workers who have been in limbo will now be granted minimum rights thanks to this directive, and the European Court of Justice rulings, from now on no employer will be able to abuse the flexibility in the labour market,” added Chambon.

The new legislation will provide gig economy workers with a “minimum level of predictability”, most notably pre-determined working hours.

They will also be given the right to refuse, without short or long-term consequences, an assignment beyond their predetermined working hours or be compensated financially if an assignment wasn’t cancelled in time.

Gig economy workers will also need to be informed within the initial seven days of their employment of their official description of duties, the duration of their employment, their remuneration, as well as a typical working day or hours for those with fluctuating work schedules.

The new law will also set probation periods at a maximum of six months or proportionate to the expected duration of a fixed-term contract.

Employers must also provide gig economy workers with mandatory training within their working hours.

Eurostat’s EU labour force survey in 2016 found that a quarter (25%) of employment relationships in the EU were “non-standard”. This figure has almost certainly risen in the last three years.

It’s therefore welcome news for the gig economy to see the EU take the sector seriously and provide some form of stability for working relationships that have been unstable and unpredictable in the past.

Article image: Photo by Mosieur J., CC BY 2.0

Date published 24 Apr 2019 | Last updated 24 Apr 2019