Pimlico Plumbers ‘gig economy’ case to go to Supreme Court

Pimlico Plumbers is appealing the decision of the Court of Appeal in London that it should have classed Gary Smith as a “worker” rather than self-employed.

Appeal judges ruled in February that Mr Smith was entitled to basic employment rights, including holiday pay and the national minimum wage.

A date has not yet been set for the Supreme Court appeal, but the ruling is likely to have wide-ranging consequences for businesses, especially - but not exclusively - those in the so-called ‘gig economy’.

Employment lawyer Rachel Farr of City of London firm Taylor Wessing told The Brief: “The Supreme Court’s judgment will be as important to mainstream businesses, many of whom use self-employed contractors, as to gig economy platforms.”

She added: “We have not yet heard how or if the government intends to implement the findings of the Taylor Review, but the Supreme Court’s decision will also be applied by UK courts in other cases.”