Am I entitled to redundancy pay?

You are entitled to statutory redundancy pay if you have worked for your employer for at least 2 continuous years. The amount depends on your age, length of service and weekly pay, capped at £751 per week.

What is unfair dismissal?

Unfair dismissal occurs when your employer dismisses you without a fair reason or without following a fair procedure. You need 2 years of service to claim, reducing to 6 months from January 2027.

When is statutory sick pay paid?

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is now paid from Day 1 of illness following the Employment Rights Act 2025. The current rate is £123.25 per week for up to 28 weeks.

⚖ Important — Please Read Before Continuing

Scroll to the bottom to accept the disclaimer and access the tool

Scroll down to read the full disclaimer before accepting

1. This is guidance — and only ever guidance

Everything produced by ukworkrights.co.uk is general guidance. It is not legal advice. It is not a substitute for advice from a qualified solicitor. Never treat it as the final word — use it as a starting point, then check and take responsibility for any action you take.

2. AI can make mistakes

The guidance is generated by artificial intelligence. AI can and does make mistakes — wrong dates, wrong figures, wrong legal references, missed nuances. Read everything carefully. If the matter is serious, get it checked by ACAS, Citizens Advice, or a qualified solicitor before acting on it.

3. Verified figures and guidance sources

Statutory figures (such as rates for minimum wage, SSP, redundancy, pension contributions, council tax bands, flight compensation amounts, and benefit rates) are verified against GOV.UK, ACAS, Citizens Advice, and relevant regulatory bodies. Laws and rates change regularly. Always verify important figures at gov.uk before making decisions or taking action.

4. Your description stays private

The situation you describe is used to generate your guidance and is then discarded. It is never stored or shared. Any informal language, slang, or strong emotion in your description will not appear in the output.

5. Your responsibility

By using this service you accept that you will treat all output as general guidance only, verify important information with official sources, and seek professional legal advice for serious or complex matters. ukworkrights.co.uk accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising from your use of or reliance on this service.

6. Useful Official Resources

ACAS — Free employment advice: 0300 123 1100 — acas.org.uk
Citizens Advice — Free legal guidance: 0800 144 8848 — citizensadvice.org.uk
GOV.UK — Official UK government guidance: gov.uk
ICO — Data protection queries: 0303 123 1113 — ico.org.uk
Financial Ombudsman — Financial disputes: 0800 023 4567 — financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Energy Ombudsman — Energy disputes: ombudsman-services.org/energy
NHS — Healthcare guidance: nhs.uk
Veterans UK: 0808 1914 218
Benefits helpline: 0800 169 0310

For personal injury claims, immigration advice, criminal matters, or complex legal situations — always consult a regulated solicitor. Find one at solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk or gov.uk/find-a-solicitor.

7. Scope of this service

This service covers a wide range of UK rights topics including employment, housing, benefits, consumer rights, driving, NHS complaints, data protection, tax, school rights, wills and probate, energy, travel, and more. For all topics, the guidance is general in nature. For regulated activities — including personal injury claims, immigration applications, criminal defence, and financial advice — you must use a regulated professional.

📱 Gig Economy Guide

Gig Economy Rights: Platforms, Workers & the Law in 2026

Driving for a platform, delivering food, or freelancing through an app? This guide explains your employment status, what rights you have, and what the landmark Uber ruling means for gig workers.

✅ Last verified: July 2026📚 Sources: GOV.UK, ACAS, HSE, Citizens Advice🇬🇧 Applies across the UK

⚖ Know Your Rights at a Glance

Uber v Aslam (2021): Supreme Court ruled Uber drivers are workers — not self-employed. This is still current law and applies across gig economy platforms.
Platform control test: If the platform controls your pay, routes, working conditions and customer ratings, you are likely a worker regardless of what the contract says.
Workers get NMW and holiday pay — and platform companies cannot contract out of this by labelling you self-employed.
Unpaid trial work breaches NMW if genuine work was performed — even for "onboarding" tasks.
Whistleblowing and discrimination protection applies to workers from day one.
Guaranteed hours (2027): The Employment Rights Act 2025 will require platforms to offer guaranteed hours — not yet in force.

🆕 Uber v Aslam still governs — proposed guaranteed hours from 2027

The Supreme Court's 2021 ruling in Uber v Aslam remains the leading authority on gig worker status. Platforms cannot override it by relabelling workers as self-employed. The Employment Rights Act 2025 will go further — introducing a duty to offer guaranteed hours to regular-pattern gig workers — but this is not yet in force.

Are you a worker or self-employed?

The key question for every gig economy worker. Three employment statuses exist in UK law:

Employee: Highest protection — unfair dismissal, redundancy pay, TUPE rights
Worker: NMW, holiday pay, whistleblowing protection, pension auto-enrolment, anti-discrimination rights
Self-employed: No statutory employment rights (but NMW may still apply if the reality says otherwise)

What your platform calls you in a contract is not definitive. Courts look at how you actually work. The factors pointing toward worker status include: the platform sets the fare/fee; you cannot freely set your own price; there is a rating/performance system; the platform controls the customer relationship; you cannot easily substitute another person for yourself.

What the Uber ruling means for you

In Uber BV v Aslam [2021] UKSC 5, the UK Supreme Court held that Uber drivers were workers, not self-employed, because:

Uber set the fare and drivers could not negotiate
Uber imposed the contract terms on passengers
Uber controlled the route via the app
A driver rating system constrained their conduct
Uber restricted their ability to work for competitors during logged-in periods

This logic extends to other platforms — if your platform controls pay, routes, customers and performance in the same way, you are likely a worker with the same rights.

Your rights as a gig economy worker

If you are a worker (which most platform-based gig workers are following Uber):

National Minimum Wage for all working time (including waiting time between jobs if you are required to be available)
Holiday pay at 12.07% of hours worked
Pension auto-enrolment if earnings meet the threshold
Whistleblowing protection from day one
Protection from discrimination on all 9 protected characteristics
Protection from detriment for asserting your statutory rights

Check whether the platform controls your work

If the platform sets your price, controls the customer, rates your performance and restricts you from competing, you are likely a worker.

Keep records of all working time

Log your hours including waiting time, travel between jobs, and any onboarding/training. This is your evidence for NMW and holiday pay claims.

Contact ACAS or a solicitor to clarify your status

Employment status disputes with platforms can be complex. ACAS can advise; some specialist employment law firms handle gig economy cases on a no-win no-fee basis.

Submit an ET1 claim for unpaid NMW or holiday pay

If you believe you are owed NMW or holiday pay as a worker, you can bring a tribunal claim after ACAS early conciliation. Time limits apply.

Report NMW underpayment to HMRC or the Fair Work Agency

The Fair Work Agency (from 7 April 2026) and HMRC enforce NMW for workers. Report confidentially at gov.uk.

📱 Check Your Gig Economy Rights

Describe your platform work situation and get guidance on your employment status and rights.

Use the Free Checker →

Frequently asked questions

The app calls me self-employed but controls everything — what am I?

Likely a worker. Courts look at the reality, not the label. If the platform sets prices, controls customers and rates your performance, the Uber ruling suggests you are a worker with NMW and holiday rights.

Do I get paid for waiting between deliveries?

If you are required to be logged in and available on the platform during waiting time, that time may count as working time for NMW purposes. If you can freely go elsewhere, it may not.

Can a platform deactivate my account for claiming my rights?

Deactivating (effectively dismissing) a worker for asserting a statutory right is unlawful. If you are deactivated after asserting NMW or holiday rights, contact ACAS immediately.

Am I entitled to sick pay?

Workers are entitled to SSP if they earn at least the lower earnings limit and meet the qualifying conditions. Confirm your status first.

What if I use a substitute driver for my shift?

A genuine right to substitute yourself (where you can send anyone, not just someone from the platform's own pool) is a strong indicator of self-employment rather than worker status.

Can I join a trade union as a gig worker?

Yes. Workers have the right to join a trade union. Several unions specifically organise gig economy workers — the IWGB (Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain) is the most active in this space.

Are there any rights I have as self-employed?

Even if genuinely self-employed, you still have protection from discrimination when buying/using services, and HMRC's NMW rules may apply if your actual working relationship makes you a worker.

📞 Free help and support

ACAS: 0300 123 1100

IWGB (gig worker union): iwgb.co.uk

Citizens Advice: 0800 144 8848

Fair Work Agency: gov.uk

⚠ Important disclaimer: This guide covers gig economy rights across the UK as at July 2026. General legal information only — not legal advice. Verify with ACAS, GOV.UK or Citizens Advice before acting. ukworkrights.co.uk — Not a law firm.