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Independent contractors & self-employment

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With self-employment growing, we help you navigate the key risks.

In some major economies up to one in five workers are now self-employed – and this figure is rising. The growth of the gig economy and platform-enabled ways of working has seen employment status issues become key considerations for many companies.

The emergence of the ‘on demand’ workforce, demands for more flexible working practices - together with new ways of allocating work enabled by technology and remote working - have all contributed to the growth of self-employment.

Case law battles, various Government reviews and frequent media coverage often with a negative slant, have made this an intense area of scrutiny with the potential for significant legal and reputational damage.

We have extensive experience of the complex employment and tax law issues involved in navigating status matters. Our experts can help ensure you have a legally robust and competitive engagement model that can withstand challenges from the workforce, tax authorities, unions (if any) and other relevant stakeholders.

Our experience includes:

  • Advising a wide range of platform economy companies on employment status issues 
  • Advising on numerous consultancy, freelancer and other independent contractor arrangements (both directly and indirectly engaged), so that these comply with employment and tax laws
  • Helping clients manage requests for working from home and remote working arrangements, often on a self-employed basis
  • Keeping companies up to speed on the constantly evolving legal landscape