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Bolt moves Standard UK drivers to worker status in major ride-hailing employment change
Bolt has confirmed that drivers operating through its Standard ride-hailing service in the UK are moving to worker status, marking a major change in the employment model used by one of Britain’s largest private hire platforms.
The company published the change following a separate driver FAQ issued a day earlier. Bolt’s own newsroom now lists the development as its latest UK driver announcement.
The move is seen as significant because worker status sits between conventional employment and self-employment under UK law. It provides qualifying rights including National Minimum Wage protection and paid holiday while generally preserving greater working flexibility than a traditional employee relationship.
Bolt had already introduced parts of that package through its Bolt Boost scheme. Its published terms provide for a Journey Fee Supplement where relevant earnings fall below an amount calculated using the National Living Wage, alongside a Holiday Pay Supplement calculated at 12.07% of relevant fees after specified deductions.
The formal move to worker status goes further because it changes the legal basis on which Standard drivers work with the platform rather than simply providing contractual payments designed to replicate certain worker benefits.
The development follows a landmark Employment Tribunal ruling involving Bolt drivers. In November 2024, the tribunal found that sample claimants were workers while they were within their licensed operating area and had the Bolt app switched on. The judgment concerned claims for rights including National Minimum Wage and holiday pay.
Bolt has continued to challenge parts of the tribunal outcome. Law firm Leigh Day, which represents claimant drivers, says an Employment Appeal Tribunal hearing relating to elements of the case is currently expected in October 2027, while a remedy hearing dealing with compensation for successful claimants is scheduled for November 2026.
The new Standard model also needs to be distinguished from Bolt Flex. Bolt has developed Flex as a separate option giving UK drivers greater control over the price they are prepared to accept for journeys. Drivers can move between different profiles, meaning the commercial and employment arrangements applying to individual work can depend on the service being used.
The development narrows a longstanding difference between Bolt and Uber. Uber has treated UK drivers as workers since 2021 following the Supreme Court ruling in its own employment-status litigation, providing holiday pay, minimum earnings protection and pension arrangements.
