Supreme Administrative Court: Food couriers are employees, not independent entrepreneurs. Photo: Eelis Berglund / Lehtikuva
- Next Article Finland warns of possible Russian threat to Nato within five years
Finland’s Supreme Administrative Court has ruled that food couriers working for Wolt must be classified as employees rather than independent entrepreneurs, overturning a lower court ruling and setting a significant legal precedent on platform-based work.
The ruling concerns the employment status of couriers delivering food via the Wolt platform. The court found that the relationship between the couriers and Wolt involved characteristics of employment, such as subordination and limited autonomy.
It concluded that the independence of the couriers was, in part, only superficial.
Despite this, the court also determined that working time regulations do not apply to the couriers’ tasks under current law.
The verdict reverses a February 2024 decision by the Hämeenlinna Administrative Court, which had sided with Wolt and ruled that couriers were acting as independent entrepreneurs.
In a written response to Yle, Wolt said it had just received the decision and would examine its implications in the coming days.
The case adds to ongoing legal and political debate over the classification of gig economy workers in Finland and elsewhere in Europe. Wolt, founded in Helsinki, is one of the most prominent digital platforms in the country and has faced repeated scrutiny over its labour practices.
HT
- Next Article Finland warns of possible Russian threat to Nato within five years
Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
