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.
Related articles
-
PremiumCheck, please! Tipped employee compensation in spotlight amid U.K., U.S. ‘fair’ pay debate
Earlier this year, amid then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign promise to end taxes on tips in the U.S., the U.K. government introduced a new law to ensure that all tips are paid in full to staff, regardless of whether they were given in cash or by credit card. ...
-
PremiumSpanish labor ministry continues working condition crusade with Big Four fines
Spain’s labor ministry fined the Big Four accountancy firms at least €1.4 million (U.S. $1.5 million) total for overworking and underpaying their respective employees, continuing a recent trend in the country of the government cracking down on apparent labor violations.
-
ArticleSeven years in, GDPR faces growing challenges from AI and ‘consent or pay’ models
Europe’s pioneering data protection legislation turned seven years old in May, but the compliance and enforcement difficulties that have dogged the rules since they came into force look set to present both companies and data regulators with fresh headaches for some time to come.
More from Regulatory Enforcement
-
News BriefDOJ charges crypto executive with laundering $530M for sanctioned Russian banks
The Department of Justice has charged the founder of cryptocurrency company Evita with 22 violations for allegedly laundering more than $500 million through U.S. banks and cryptocurrency exchanges, on behalf of sanctioned Russian entities.
-
News BriefSEC Chair Atkins signals end to ‘regulation by enforcement’ in line with Trump’s pro-crypto agenda
The Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins explained his agency’s shift on cryptocurrency regulation to a Senate committee as legislators bargain over President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” and the GENIUS Act, which would have the federal government invest heavily in cryptocurrency.
-
ArticleU.K. reins in crypto firms to combat ‘scandal’ of freewheeling finfluencers
Up to 25,000 people a year in the U.K. are illegally promoting financial products or offering financial advice on social media, but none have yet appeared in court, according to the first Treasury Select Committee meeting on the subject of so-called “finfluencers.” Regulated financial services firms must comply with strict ...