UK Groups Call for Enforcement Against False Self-Employment in Gig Work
The Fabian Society and Joseph Rowntree Foundation urged the UK government to strengthen enforcement and employment-status rules for as many as four million workers classified between employee and self-employed status.
In short
- The Fabian Society and Joseph Rowntree Foundation urged the UK government to strengthen enforcement and employment-status rules for as many as four million workers classified between employee and self-employed status.
Two UK policy organizations are urging the government to strengthen enforcement against companies that classify workers as self-employed when their working arrangements may entitle them to employment protections.
A joint report by the Fabian Society and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation estimates that as many as four million people — including delivery drivers, hairdressers and personal trainers — work within gaps created by Britain’s three employment-status categories. The groups say some miss rights such as sick pay, parental leave, holiday pay and protection from unfair dismissal.
The report asks the Fair Work Agency, launched in April 2026, to use its civil enforcement powers in cases of suspected widespread false self-employment. It also proposes shifting the burden of proving employment status from individual workers to employers, reducing the need for lengthy legal challenges.
The UK government has committed to consulting on employment status but has not yet replaced the current categories with a single worker status. A government spokesperson said the Fair Work Agency was already helping workers secure their rights and that officials would consider how its civil proceedings powers could be used.
The proposal comes as businesses lobby over the cost of the government’s wider Employment Rights Act. Official analysis cited by The Guardian estimated the planned changes could cost businesses between £350 million and £2.9 billion, while also improving worker protections and supporting growth.
