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United Kingdom Leading Case construction interpretationconditions warranties innominate

Pimlico Plumbers Ltd v Smith

[2018] UKSC 29
JurisdictionUnited Kingdom
CourtUK Supreme Court
Year2018
StatusBinding authority

Summary

A purportedly self-employed plumber was held to be a statutory 'worker' because personal service was the dominant contractual feature, entitling him to holiday pay and other protections.

Key Principle

The Supreme Court held that a plumber engaged as a 'self-employed' operative was a 'worker' entitled to statutory protections including holiday pay; the dominant feature of the contract was personal service.

Area of Law

employment

Related Cases

Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union v Personnel Contracting Pty Ltd (2022) 275 CLR 165

Employee/independent contractor characterisation is determined by the legal rights and obligations in the written contract, not the totality of the relationship.

ZG Operations Australia Pty Ltd v Jamsek (2022) 275 CLR 215

HCA confirmed that employee/contractor distinction is determined by contractual terms alone, rejecting the multi-factorial totality-of-relationship test.

WorkPac Pty Ltd v Rossato (2021) 271 CLR 456

A casual employee's status is determined by the contractual terms at engagement; regularity of work pattern does not transform casual employment into permanent employment.

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