It has long caused unexpected upsets in otherwise amicable commercial relationships. This is not an area which stands still for long, and we raise here two questions which now increasingly need to be taken into account. First, legislation now, more and more, seeks to pass by the distinction entirely. If the law relates simply to a 'worker', than that person can be a worker whether or not he is an employee or an independent contractor. This applies, for example, in new legislation regarding working hours.
Workers can include a wide range of individuals previously outside such protection.
Another significant example of such 'worker' legislation is that relating to Health and Safety at work. This is a trend which can will continue, and its effects may be far reaching. Many industries in our economy survive on the basis that people work independently. As these uncertainties increase, such industries will find the uncertainty is at best unhelpful, and the economics changed fundamentally. A driver claimed he had been an employee, and that he had rights accordingly.