More than 7,000 Just Eat couriers have launched legal action against the food delivery company, seeking improved employment rights including the national minimum wage and holiday pay. The employment tribunal, which began on Tuesday and is scheduled to run until 2 June, will determine whether the couriers should be classified as 'workers'—a status that grants enhanced rights—or as self-employed independent contractors.
Just Eat dismissed approximately 1,700 couriers in the UK in 2023 when it reverted to a gig economy model, ending its 'Scoober' experiment that had offered guaranteed minimum pay, sick pay, and holiday pay in six cities. Under Scoober, couriers worked set shifts and were provided with e-bikes or e-mopeds, but Just Eat stated that less than 5% of UK orders were handled through this system.
A Just Eat spokesperson defended the company's model, stating: 'In the UK, Just Eat partners with over 70,000 self-employed couriers who choose to work with us for the flexibility and freedom that we offer. When and how often couriers deliver from our restaurant, retail and grocery partners is up to them, and is reflective of their status as self-employed contractors.'
The legal challenge is led by Leigh Day, the law firm that successfully represented Addison Lee drivers in a similar case last year, securing rights to holiday pay and the minimum wage. This follows a 2024 ruling in favour of Bolt drivers and a 2021 Supreme Court decision that improved rights for Uber drivers.
The UK government recently established the Fair Work Agency (FWA) to improve oversight of employment rights. A report for the agency identified the gig economy, alongside construction and social care, as high-risk areas where workers 'often experience precarious conditions, systemic barriers to redress'. Nigel Mackay, Leigh Day's joint head of employment and discrimination, noted that individuals may still need to bring tribunal claims to enforce their rights before the FWA can act effectively.
Just Eat expressed support for the government's employment reforms, saying: 'We support the government's intentions to reform the UK's current employment framework and see this as an opportunity to recognise the tech-enabled work that we, and other platform businesses, offer today.' The company was acquired by South African-owned internet investor Prosus for €4.1bn in early 2025.
