1. Overview
This guidance will help workers, end users and suppliers involved in the gig economy, agency and temporary work to understand their health and safety responsibilities.
The gig economy is growing, and the ways people work are changing so employers need to think differently about how to keep workers healthy and safe. It typically covers short-term, informal working relationships where work is generally:
- on-demand
- obtained through an online platform
- delivered on a task-by-task basis
It cuts across many sectors, where 'gig economy' can have different meanings and working practices, but it is mainly associated with the transport and logistics sectors, for example courier work.
For health and safety purposes, gig economy workers should be treated no differently to other workers and will often identify as agency or temporary workers, or self-employed. They may also be 'limb (b) workers' and entitled to certain employment rights as a result.
There is separate advice for gig economy, agency or temporary workers[5] themselves. It covers their rights and their own responsibilities under health and safety law.