PROBLEMS OF EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF COURIERS IN EUROPE
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Published:
Nov 21, 2025
Abstract
In given article authors of the study examine the main challenges food and goods delivery market are facing, including but not limited with a focus on employment conditions of delivery couriers, market competition, technology, safety, competitive strategies, and possible solutions. Given article reviews academic work published over the past five years by paying special attention to algorithmic management, burnout, inequality, and the legal status of couriers. The courier-delivery sector underwent rapid growth during the 2019 pandemic, and the number of couriers delivering groceries and other items has continued to rise each year. Yet labor legislation for couriers remains poorly structured, resulting in unfair working conditions and inadequate social protection. The authors surveyed courier employment in several countries around the world, and the findings enable them to propose recommendations for improving working conditions and strengthening regulation of the delivery market within the European Union.
How to Cite
Surmacs, A., & Surmaca, E. (2025). PROBLEMS OF EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF COURIERS IN EUROPE. Baltic Journal of Legal and Social Sciences, 150-155. https://doi.org/10.30525/2592-8813-2025-spec-11
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Keywords
couriers, delivery platforms, labor relations
References
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22. Filsell, S. (2024) Deliveroo worker status judgment: Implications for employers, Phillips Law. Retrieved from: https://phillips-law.co.uk/insights/deliveroo-worker-status-judgment-implications-for-employers/ . [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
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24. IWGB (2023) Statement on the Supreme Court's ruling on Deliveroo riders' bargaining rights. IWGB. Retrieved from: https://iwgb.org.uk/en/post/iwgb-statement-on-the-supreme-court-r/ Jafar, K., Unnimaya, U.G. and Malaiarasan, U. (2024). Flexibility, Vulnerability, and Inclusiveness in the Gig Economy: A Review of India’s Experience in the Context of Informalisation. Informal Economy and Sustainable Development Goals: Ideas, Interventions and Challenges, pp.259–272. doi: Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-980-220241014. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
25. Mayne, M. (2023) Deliveroo drivers are not employees, Supreme Court rules – how should HR REACT?, PeopleManagement. Retrieved from: https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1848766/deliveroo-drivers-not-employees-supreme-court-rules-%E2%80%93-hr-react (Accessed: 23 March 2025).
26. Russon, M.-A. (2021) Uber drivers are workers not self-employed, Supreme Court rules, BBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56123668. Jafar, K., Unnimaya, U.G. and Malaiarasan, U. (2024). Flexibility, Vulnerability, and Inclusiveness in the Gig Economy: A Review of India’s Experience in the Context of Informalisation. Informal Economy and Sustainable Development Goals: Ideas, Interventions and Challenges, pp.259–272. doi: Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-980-220241014. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
27. Wall, T. (2024) ‘I wouldn’t wish this on anyone’: The Food Delivery Riders living in ‘caravan shantytowns’ in Bristol, The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/aug/24/i-wouldnt-wish-this-on-anyone-the-food-delivery-riders-living-in-caravan-shantytowns-in-bristol. Jafar, K., Unnimaya, U.G. and Malaiarasan, U. (2024). Flexibility,
Vulnerability, and Inclusiveness in the Gig Economy: A Review of India’s Experience in the Context of Informalisation. Informal Economy and Sustainable Development Goals: Ideas, Interventions and Challenges, pp.259–272. doi: Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-980-220241014. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
28. Deliveroo (2025) About Us, Deliveroo. Retrieved from: https://deliveroo.co.uk/about-us Jafar, K., Unnimaya, U.G. and Malaiarasan, U. (2024). Flexibility, Vulnerability, and Inclusiveness in the Gig Economy: A Review of India’s Experience in the Context of Informalisation. Informal Economy and Sustainable Development Goals: Ideas, Interventions and Challenges, pp.259–272. doi: Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-980-220241014. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
2. Anne Aguilera, Laetitia Dablanc, Camille Krier, Nicolas Louvet. Platform-based food delivery in Paris before and during the pandemic: profile, motivations and mobility patterns of couriers (Oct.2022). Transport Research Review. Retrieved from: https://etrr.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s12544-022-00569-8. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
3. Henri Kervola, Soili Hyvönen, Erika Kallionpää, Heikki Liimatainen. Flexibility and freedom suit me better: food delivery couriers’ preferred employment status. Frontiers in Sociology, june 2024 (PMC, PubMed). Retrieved from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11229694/. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
4. Pinar Ozyavas, Evrim Ursavas, Paul Buijs, Ruud Teunter. Integrating shift planning and pick-up and delivery problems under limited courier availability. European Journal of Operational Research (e‑pub), April. 2025. Retrieved from: https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ejores/v326y2025i2p343-356.html. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
5. Ashish Nair, Rahul Yadav, Anjali Gupta, Abhijnan Chakraborty, Sayan Ranu, Amitabha Bagchi. Gigs with Guarantees: Achieving Fair Wage for Food Delivery Workers. arXiv, May 2025. Retrieved from: https://arxiv.org/abs/2205.03530. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
6. Anjali Gupta, Rahul Yadav, Ashish Nair, Abhijnan Chakraborty, Sayan Ranu, Amitabha Bagchi. FairFoody: Bringing in Fairness in Food Delivery. arXiv, March 2022. Retrieved from: https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AAAI/article/view/21447. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
7. Oleksandr Rossolov, Anastasiia Botsman, Serhii Lyfenko, Yusak O. Susilo Oleksandr Rossolov, Anastasiia Botsman, Serhii Lyfenko, Yusak O. Susilo. Does courier gender matter? Exploring mode choice behaviour for E‑groceries crowd‑shipping in developing economies. arXiv, Aug. 2023. Retrieved from: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4760784. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
8. Ankush Chopra, Mahima Arora, Shubham Pandey. Delivery Issues Identification from Customer Feedback Data. arXiv, Dec. 2021. Retrieved from: https://arxiv.org/abs/2112.13372. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
9. Food Delivery: from Edo to present in Japan. Japan Travel by Navitime. https://japantravel.navitime.com/en/area/jp/guide/NTJhowto0122-en/?utm_source. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
10. A Quick 'British' Meal? Exploring The Growth of International ... // Warwick GHCC Blog.-2021.- URL: Retrieved from: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/ghcc/blog/a_quick_british/. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
11. Friday, A., Bates O. & Mcleod F.N. (2022). The sustainability of the gig economy food delivery system (Deliveroo, UberEATS and Just-Eat): Histories and futures of rebound, lock-in and path dependency. Retrieved from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15568318.2022.2066583#abstract. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
12. Cano, M. R., Espelt, R., & Morell, M. F. (2021). Flexibility and freedom for whom? Precarity, freedom and flexibility in on-demand food delivery. Work Organisation, Labour & Globalisation, 15(1), 46–68. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.13169/workorgalaboglob.15.1.0046. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
13. Strath.ac.uk. (2015). ‘Alarming risks’ to Scotland’s food delivery couriers | University of Strathclyde. [online] Available at: Retrieved from: https://www.strath.ac.uk/whystrathclyde/news/2024/alarmingriskstoscotlandsfooddeliverycouriers/?utm_source [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
14. Mordor Intelligence (2025). Europe Food Platform-to-Consumer Delivery Market - Share & Companies. [online] Mordorintelligence.com. Available at: Retrieved from: https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/europe-food-platform-to-consumer-delivery-market?utm_source [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
15. Vignola, E. F., Baron, S., Abreu Plasencia, E., Hussein, M., & Cohen, N. (2023). Workers' Health under Algorithmic Management: Emerging Findings and Urgent Research Questions. International journal of environmental research and public health, 20(2), 1239. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021239. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
16. Borak, M. (2022). China’s Gig Workers Are Challenging Their Algorithmic Bosses. [online] WIRED. Retrieved from: https://www.wired.com/story/chinas-gig-workers-challenging-algorithmic-bosses/?utm_source [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
17. WIRED Ideas (2023). Algorithms Need Management Training, Too. [online] WIRED. Retrieved from: https://www.wired.com/story/platform-work-labor-economy-ai/?utm_source [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
18. Consilium. (2025). EU rules on platform work. [online] Retrieved from: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/platform-work-eu/?utm_source [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
19. Jafar, K., Unnimaya, U.G. and Malaiarasan, U. (2024). Flexibility, Vulnerability, and Inclusiveness in the Gig Economy: A Review of India’s Experience in the Context of Informalisation. Informal Economy and Sustainable Development Goals: Ideas, Interventions and Challenges, pp.259–272. doi: Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-980-220241014. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
20. Perspectives and Recommendations on the Future of Work India’s Booming Gig and Platform Economy POLICY BRIEF. (2022). Retrieved from: https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-06/Policy_Brief_India%27s_Booming_Gig_and_Platform_Economy_27062022.pdf?utm_source [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
21. Cant, C. (2023) Be warned: Deliveroo’s victory over its riders shows just how vulnerable British workers are | callum cant, The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/nov/23/deliveroo-victory-riders-british-workers-gig-economy-europe. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
22. Filsell, S. (2024) Deliveroo worker status judgment: Implications for employers, Phillips Law. Retrieved from: https://phillips-law.co.uk/insights/deliveroo-worker-status-judgment-implications-for-employers/ . [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
23. Harris, R.S. (2023) Deliveroo riders are not workers, AccountingWEB. Retrieved from: https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/tax/business-tax/deliveroo-riders-are-not-workers. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
24. IWGB (2023) Statement on the Supreme Court's ruling on Deliveroo riders' bargaining rights. IWGB. Retrieved from: https://iwgb.org.uk/en/post/iwgb-statement-on-the-supreme-court-r/ Jafar, K., Unnimaya, U.G. and Malaiarasan, U. (2024). Flexibility, Vulnerability, and Inclusiveness in the Gig Economy: A Review of India’s Experience in the Context of Informalisation. Informal Economy and Sustainable Development Goals: Ideas, Interventions and Challenges, pp.259–272. doi: Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-980-220241014. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
25. Mayne, M. (2023) Deliveroo drivers are not employees, Supreme Court rules – how should HR REACT?, PeopleManagement. Retrieved from: https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1848766/deliveroo-drivers-not-employees-supreme-court-rules-%E2%80%93-hr-react (Accessed: 23 March 2025).
26. Russon, M.-A. (2021) Uber drivers are workers not self-employed, Supreme Court rules, BBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56123668. Jafar, K., Unnimaya, U.G. and Malaiarasan, U. (2024). Flexibility, Vulnerability, and Inclusiveness in the Gig Economy: A Review of India’s Experience in the Context of Informalisation. Informal Economy and Sustainable Development Goals: Ideas, Interventions and Challenges, pp.259–272. doi: Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-980-220241014. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
27. Wall, T. (2024) ‘I wouldn’t wish this on anyone’: The Food Delivery Riders living in ‘caravan shantytowns’ in Bristol, The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/aug/24/i-wouldnt-wish-this-on-anyone-the-food-delivery-riders-living-in-caravan-shantytowns-in-bristol. Jafar, K., Unnimaya, U.G. and Malaiarasan, U. (2024). Flexibility,
Vulnerability, and Inclusiveness in the Gig Economy: A Review of India’s Experience in the Context of Informalisation. Informal Economy and Sustainable Development Goals: Ideas, Interventions and Challenges, pp.259–272. doi: Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-980-220241014. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].
28. Deliveroo (2025) About Us, Deliveroo. Retrieved from: https://deliveroo.co.uk/about-us Jafar, K., Unnimaya, U.G. and Malaiarasan, U. (2024). Flexibility, Vulnerability, and Inclusiveness in the Gig Economy: A Review of India’s Experience in the Context of Informalisation. Informal Economy and Sustainable Development Goals: Ideas, Interventions and Challenges, pp.259–272. doi: Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-980-220241014. [Accessed 26 Jun. 2025].