Uber – concern for associates?
An employment tribunal has ruled in a test case brought by two Uber workers, backed by the GMB union, that they are not self employed as Uber previously claimed. Not surprisingly, this has caused mutterings of concern in dental chat rooms.
Dental business coach, Dr Alun Rees senses change in the air:
“This ruling could potentially have a bearing on the employment position of associates in dental practice. Would that be a bad thing? It is easy to argue that Uber drivers are closer to the definition of self employed than many dental associates, especially those working in predominantly NHS practices. I know that some specialist dental accountants believe that the current situation is untenable and significant change is inevitable.”
Post 2006, there are problems justifying that an associate working to fulfil a contract of a set number of UDAs and being paid a set amount per UDA, and who does not own the building, employ staff, own their own equipment or take any risks, is self employed.
Alun continues: “General dental practice is a special case I’m told. Why is it different from any other profession or other branches of dentistry? Lawyers, doctors and accountants are all salaried; the argument for dentists to be different, certainly in their early years, is hard to justify.
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