European labor laws showing teeth in crackdown on gig economy
By Neil Hodge2023-02-07T21:14:00
Labor laws in European countries might not be as clear as some employers believe, especially when companies try to engage workers as freelancers rather than full-time employees.
Recent cases culminating in fines, repayments, and compliance costs have shone a spotlight on how some companies operate in the “gig economy,” as well as how difficult it might be for businesses to legitimately contract out work on a rolling basis.
Toward the end of January, Spain’s labor ministry fined app-based food delivery company Glovo 56.7 million euros (then-U.S. $61.7 million) for breaking the country’s labor laws aimed at protecting gig economy workers, according to multiple reports, including from Spanish newspaper El Confidencial.