Courier Company Hermes Delivering on Workers Rights

Drivers for Hermes are being offered guaranteed minimum wages and holiday pay. In Greek mythology, Hermes is the god of trade, merchants, commerce, roads and travellers.

 

He is also the god of trickery. The parcel delivery firm that shares its name with the Olympian deity, might be associated with all those things, except, possibly the last on that list.

 

After hundreds of Hermes couriers in summer 2018 won the right to be recognised as "workers", the company this week offered guaranteed minimum wages and holiday pay to its drivers – the first such offer in the industry. This means that the 15,000 individuals ferrying parcels up and down the country every day can enjoy all the flexibilities associated with being self-employed but will also be able to opt into contracts that provide more favourable rights.

 

For those firms still hopeful that they can keep muddling through with scores of self-employed workers on their books, people who they can cut off at a day's notice after years of loyalty just to keep their own costs down, the Hermes deal is grim news. 

 

Awareness around rights that can be demanded and can be granted is swelling. Next time you get an Uber, you may want to ask your driver what he thinks about the gig economy. He may be more clued up than you'd expect. High-profile cases like this Hermes development only helps to spread the message and mobilise the growing, enlightened masses.

 

Hermes is the first to recognise the need for change and their rivals may want to consider how they keep up.

 

Collings 

Solicitors Altrincham