Just Eat couriers take worker status to tribunal

More than 7,000 Just Eat couriers are asking an employment tribunal to find that they are workers rather than self-employed contractors. The claims were first issued in 2023 and were heard between 5 May and 2 June 2026. Judgment is expected later in 2026.

The background is Just Eat's move away from employing couriers directly and toward a self-employed model. The couriers argue that the reality of how the work operates does not match that classification.

What worker status would and would not change

If the couriers succeed, worker status would bring the national minimum wage for working time, paid holiday and written terms. It is the middle category between employee and self-employed, and it is the same status Uber private hire drivers were found to have by the Supreme Court in 2021.

What to do in the meantime

Nothing changes today - Just Eat couriers are self-employed for both tax and, unless and until the tribunal says otherwise, employment purposes. Keep filing, keep claiming, and keep your own records of hours and pay. If a ruling does land, the hours and earnings you can evidence are what any holiday-pay or minimum-wage calculation would be built from, and platform statements are not always available after an account closes.