Finland Tightens Rules for Platform Work, Minister Says Couriers Should Be Employees

Finland's Minister of Employment, Matias Marttinen, is pushing for a significant shift in how platform workers are classified, advocating that a larger portion of individuals working for platforms like Wolt should be considered employees.

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More and more of those doing platform work should be in an employment relationship.

"More and more of those doing platform work should be in an employment relationship," Marttinen said in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat. He specifically pointed to Wolt delivery couriers as an example of workers who should have employee status.

The government is advancing a new platform work law, guided by an EU directive, which is set to take effect by the end of the year. This legislation aims to tackle worker exploitation by introducing a "presumption of employment." Under this rule, platform companies like Wolt will have to prove that their couriers are not employees, a reversal of the previous burden of proof which often classified these workers as independent contractors.

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individual legislative changes are insufficient.

However, Marttinen acknowledges that the law alone will not resolve all issues associated with platform work. He stressed that while the law provides a framework, "individual legislative changes" are insufficient. "A great deal of responsibility also lies with these companies themselves," he stated, emphasizing the need for robust official supervision and greater accountability from companies like Wolt. One significant challenge is that the presumption of employment will not extend to all aspects of a courier's work, particularly concerning taxation, pension contributions, and social security benefits, which the law's drafters attribute to minimum implementation requirements of the EU directive.

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A great deal of responsibility also lies with these companies themselves.