Gig Economy App Seeks To Balance UK Workers and Employers: Level
Gig Economy App Seeks To Balance UK Workers and Employers: Level
Gig Economy App Seeks To Balance UK Workers and Employers: Level
1. Warmer
Article: © The Financial Times Limited 2020. All rights reserved. Teacher’s notes and worksheet: © Macmillan Education Limited 2020. 1
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BUSINESS NEWS LESSONS
Ask learners to read the article and answer the questions. Students discuss the six questions in pairs. Monitor
and support where necessary, making a note of any
Encourage them to discuss their answers in pairs before interesting answers and common errors. Feedback on
comparing answers with the class. these as a whole class.
Key:
1. rating/platform
2. safeguards
3. start-up
4. flexible labour
5. contractual relationship
6. keep me on
7. trade union
Teacher ’s notes
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Article: © The Financial Times Limited 2020. All rights reserved. Teacher’s notes and worksheet: © Macmillan Education Limited 2020. 2
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BUSINESS NEWS LESSONS
1 Warmer
Look at the companies in the box and discuss the questions below with a partner.
Uber Lyft Deliveroo Task Rabbit Upwork
Read the article. Find the words in the text with the same meaning as these terms.
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Article: © The Financial Times Limited 2020. All rights reserved. Teacher’s notes and worksheet: © Macmillan Education Limited 2020. 1
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BUSINESS NEWS LESSONS
caring responsibilities.
Gareth Lewis, a builder, said his company, Lewis &
6 “These are people who are desperate for work Walls, had used Labour Xchange when he needed an
because they’re the ones where £20 extra a week is “extra pair of hands” for a few hours to help with tasks
the difference between them eating and not eating,” such as unloading flat-packs or pouring a large load of
Mr Key said. concrete near Southend.
Continued on next page
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Article: © The Financial Times Limited 2020. All rights reserved. Teacher’s notes and worksheet: © Macmillan Education Limited 2020. 2
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BUSINESS NEWS LESSONS
15 “The sort of thing that we’ve used them for is small Jade Kelsey, 28, said Labour Xchange had helped 20
jobs, not really skilled work,” Mr Lewis said. “It’s her to boost her income from shifts at a fast-food
handy for me because once they’re done they’re done restaurant chain in Southend. She had been offered
and I don’t have to think about them.” work cleaning two evenings a week at a local estate
agent, which had turned into a permanent post.
16 Mr Key insisted the app contained multiple safeguards
to ensure that workers also benefited. The service “They actually kept me on, so it’s really good,” 21
is free for employees and is funded by business Ms Kelsey said.
users, who pay £10 per booking made via the site
or £150 if they take on a worker found through the Labour Xchange is now looking to expand beyond 22
site permanently. its three pilot areas and eventually cover the entire
UK. Mr Key said negotiations were already close to
17 The site also prevents employers from hiring the same completion with several large employers that were
person more than three times for a job, saying they desperate for staff.
should instead offer the worker a permanent post. In
addition, it offers transparency, allowing workers to But he cautioned that expansion would have to be 23
download all the information the site holds on them. undertaken carefully, to ensure the site maintained its
According to Mr Key, this gives them far more power two-sided flexibility. New local managers would need
than other sites, where workers often have to guess to be hired in each area to ensure the app signed up
how the site’s algorithms affect their rating. appropriate numbers of suitable businesses and found
enough workers.
18 Les Bayliss, head of special projects for Community,
said many underemployed workers sought casual “One of the things that I always intended with 24
work and that Labour Xchange ensured that they were Labour Xchange was that it was a tool to connect
properly paid. people to businesses on a level playing field, so people
benefit and businesses benefit,” Mr Key said.
19 “We’re working with employers to have a better
environment for people that they’re employing, under
whatever contractual relationship,” Mr Bayliss said.
3 Understanding the article
Read the article again and answer the questions in as much detail as you can.
Article: © The Financial Times Limited 2020. All rights reserved. Teacher’s notes and worksheet: © Macmillan Education Limited 2020. 3
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BUSINESS NEWS LESSONS
4 Business Language
A Match the words from the article (1–8) with the correct definition (a–h)
2. start-up b. Protections
B Complete the sentences with words 1–8 above. Change the form of the word if necessary.
Article: © The Financial Times Limited 2020. All rights reserved. Teacher’s notes and worksheet: © Macmillan Education Limited 2020. 4
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BUSINESS NEWS LESSONS
contractor employee worker self-employed
4. A doesn’t have a full time job but has holiday pay and sick pay.
Case 1 – Uber Workers
Uber, the taxi app, lost an employment case in the UK in 2018. Uber insisted that its drivers were
self-employed. They owned their own cars and had total freedom about when they worked. This is the
same as people who run their own business. Because the drivers were self-employed, Uber did not need
to pay them holiday or sick pay.
The Uber drivers argued that Uber controlled when they worked and made them keep their car in a
Worksheet
specified condition and follow lots of rules, like employees. The drivers took Uber to court claiming that
they were ‘workers’. This group do not have permanent work in a company but work like employees. They
must be paid holiday pay and sick pay.
The court found that the Uber drivers were ‘workers’ because they did not have control over how and when
they worked. Uber was ordered to pay the drivers holiday pay and sick pay.
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Article: © The Financial Times Limited 2020. All rights reserved. Teacher’s notes and worksheet: © Macmillan Education Limited 2020. 5
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BUSINESS NEWS LESSONS
Deliveroo, the food delivery company, won an employment case in 2018. Deliveroo insisted that it’s delivery
riders were self-employed. They worked when they wanted and were able to swap shifts with other riders,
something employees could not do. Because the riders were self-employed, Deliveroo did not need to pay
them holiday pay or sick pay.
The riders argued that they had to wear a Deliveroo uniform just like employees, and were put under
pressure to take shifts at the company. The riders took Deliveroo to court claiming that they were ‘workers’.
This group do not have permanent work in a company but work like employees. They must be paid holiday
pay and sick pay.
Deliveroo won the case. The court found that because the riders were able to swap shifts with others or
even select any other person to take their shift, they were not employees or workers. Deliveroo did not
have to pay the riders holiday pay or sick pay.
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Article: © The Financial Times Limited 2020. All rights reserved. Teacher’s notes and worksheet: © Macmillan Education Limited 2020. 6
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