Bolt—UK tribunal ruled Bolt drivers are workers entitled to minimum wage, potentially worth £200M+
UK Employment Tribunal ruled in November 2024 that Bolt's drivers qualify as 'workers' rather than self-employed contractors, entitling them to minimum wage protections. The tribunal found drivers 'did work for Bolt' and rejected Bolt's 'bogus documentation designed to set up and protect the agency-based construct.' Lawyers estimate compensation could exceed £200 million for 15,000 claimants.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gig Worker Rights | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Worker Rights | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.128 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (medium ×1) × confidence (0.68)× agency (compelled ×0.25)
Evidence (2 signals)
UK tribunal ruled Bolt drivers are workers entitled to minimum wage, potentially worth £200M+
UK Employment Tribunal ruled in November 2024 that Bolt's drivers qualify as 'workers' rather than self-employed contractors, entitling them to minimum wage protections. The tribunal found drivers 'did work for Bolt' and rejected Bolt's 'bogus documentation designed to set up and protect the agency-based construct.' Lawyers estimate compensation could exceed £200 million for 15,000 claimants.
UK Employment Tribunal ruled Bolt drivers are workers, not self-employed
Leigh Day law firm announced November 8, 2024 that UK Employment Tribunal ruled Bolt drivers qualify as 'workers' rather than self-employed independent contractors as Bolt argued. Ruling entitles drivers to employment benefits including minimum wage protections. Case brought by approximately 10,000 current and former drivers. Lawyers representing drivers estimate Bolt could face financial liability exceeding £200 million as result. Tribunal decided drivers should be paid for time spent logged into App, providing not logged into other operators' Apps. Average compensation per driver estimated over £15,000.