European labor laws showing teeth in crackdown on gig economy

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.