Addison Lee to pay an estimated £200,000 compensation to drivers after faking email in gig economy lawsuit
Addison Lee will compensate drivers approximately £200,000 after admitting to using a fabricated email in a gig economy lawsuit.Summary
Addison Lee has been ordered to pay an estimated £200,000 in legal costs to its drivers after presenting a falsified email to an employment tribunal. The tribunal previously ruled in January that 800 drivers should be classified as workers. The company admitted the email, intended to demonstrate driver flexibility and the absence of penalties for refusing work, was created four years after the date it claimed to be from. Employment Judge Hyams determined that Addison Lee’s conduct was unreasonable and directly led to increased costs for the drivers, describing it as “an attempt to avoid the application of the decision in the Supreme Court in Uber.” The case builds upon the 2021 Supreme Court ruling in favor of Uber drivers, which has significantly impacted gig economy law. A hearing in February will determine the full compensation, with Leigh Day, representing the drivers, seeking backpay for holiday pay and national minimum wage rights.
(Source：Morning Star)