Webinar: Still quacking after all these years ... new cases breathe life into the employee/contractor classification controversy

On 16 and 17 July 2020, three Full Courts of the Federal Court delivered judgments that touch on the employee/independent contractor dichotomy in three very different contexts. In this co-ordinated response to the controversies surrounding the employee/independent contractor distinction, what did these Full Courts decide? What are the implications of their decisions?

In the first part of this session, the presenters will provide brief summaries of this important, perhaps landmark, trio of decisions. To round out their analysis, they will also touch on a recent case distinguishing between independent contractors and casual employees. The presenters will provide some commentary about the practical implications of these decisions for in-house counsel.

In the second part of this session, the presenters will look at how this notoriously difficult distinction is playing out in the gig economy. How should workers in the gig economy be classified and what does this mean for the broader distinction between employees and independent contractors? The presenters will look at the Australian Uber and Foodora cases and comment on similar decisions in the UK and California.

The presenters will also briefly comment on relevant State inquiries which have recently been (or are still in the process of being) conducted and the possible reforms which might flow out of them.

Please note: If your company/organisation is deemed to be a competitor of the host organisation for this event, you may be excluded from attending this event. If you believe there may be a conflict or are uncertain, please enquire with ACC Australia.

This event occurs during AEDT (Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne).