Urban Outfitters, Dreams, and Royal Parks cafes are facing criticism for using the gig economy app Temper to recruit staff, with many workers earning below the minimum wage. The trade union body TUC has called for reforms to protect gig economy workers, citing bogus self-employed roles that lack essential employment rights.
The fashion retailer Urban Outfitters has been advertising temporary positions via Temper, including a stock assistant in Exeter and sales assistants in Gateshead and Birmingham. These posts offer hourly wages of £12.50 and £13, respectively, but workers can earn less if they choose to use the app's paid-for payment service. This means that some workers are effectively earning below the minimum wage of £12.21 an hour.
Similarly, Colicci Cafe in London's Royal Parks has been offering barista shifts for as low as £12.50 an hour, with workers who take up these roles having to pay a 2.9% fee to Temper, which reduces their hourly rate below the minimum wage.
Meanwhile, Dreams has advertised several positions on Temper, including two paying £12.71 an hour, one of which involves loading and unloading deliveries. However, workers who do not wish to wait for up to 60 days for payment must pay this fee, reducing their pay to £12.35 and £13.68 an hour.
Temper's "Free Security" insurance scheme provides some protection against illness, but it falls short of the statutory sick pay that employees would be entitled to under new laws introduced in April. The TUC has called for stronger action against bogus self-employment, arguing that employers are exploiting loopholes to deny workers proper pay and conditions.
The gig economy app Temper claims that its platform offers flexibility and better protections than traditional employment arrangements, but critics say this is a myth. Temper's own statement on the matter reads: "Everyone who works via Temper is doing so on a self-employed basis..." However, many workers are effectively employed by Temper, working regular shifts without the flexibility to choose which jobs they take.
Temper has set a "floor" of £12.50 an hour for hiring workers via its app, but this will rise to £13 from February 1. The company argues that applicants can negotiate rates if they believe they are too low and can be taken on full-time without fees. However, the TUC says that Temper's model is unsustainable and that workers need stronger protections to avoid exploitation.
As the use of gig economy apps like Temper spreads beyond delivery workers into other sectors, the debate over worker rights and flexibility continues. With promised reforms on the horizon, it remains to be seen whether companies will adhere to new employment laws and protect their employees' rights or find ways to exploit loopholes.
The fashion retailer Urban Outfitters has been advertising temporary positions via Temper, including a stock assistant in Exeter and sales assistants in Gateshead and Birmingham. These posts offer hourly wages of £12.50 and £13, respectively, but workers can earn less if they choose to use the app's paid-for payment service. This means that some workers are effectively earning below the minimum wage of £12.21 an hour.
Similarly, Colicci Cafe in London's Royal Parks has been offering barista shifts for as low as £12.50 an hour, with workers who take up these roles having to pay a 2.9% fee to Temper, which reduces their hourly rate below the minimum wage.
Meanwhile, Dreams has advertised several positions on Temper, including two paying £12.71 an hour, one of which involves loading and unloading deliveries. However, workers who do not wish to wait for up to 60 days for payment must pay this fee, reducing their pay to £12.35 and £13.68 an hour.
Temper's "Free Security" insurance scheme provides some protection against illness, but it falls short of the statutory sick pay that employees would be entitled to under new laws introduced in April. The TUC has called for stronger action against bogus self-employment, arguing that employers are exploiting loopholes to deny workers proper pay and conditions.
The gig economy app Temper claims that its platform offers flexibility and better protections than traditional employment arrangements, but critics say this is a myth. Temper's own statement on the matter reads: "Everyone who works via Temper is doing so on a self-employed basis..." However, many workers are effectively employed by Temper, working regular shifts without the flexibility to choose which jobs they take.
Temper has set a "floor" of £12.50 an hour for hiring workers via its app, but this will rise to £13 from February 1. The company argues that applicants can negotiate rates if they believe they are too low and can be taken on full-time without fees. However, the TUC says that Temper's model is unsustainable and that workers need stronger protections to avoid exploitation.
As the use of gig economy apps like Temper spreads beyond delivery workers into other sectors, the debate over worker rights and flexibility continues. With promised reforms on the horizon, it remains to be seen whether companies will adhere to new employment laws and protect their employees' rights or find ways to exploit loopholes.
Like, what's the point of having a minimum wage if you're just gonna pay less than that and then screw over workers who don't wanna be ripped off? Dreams is basically just taking advantage of people who need jobs and are willing to take any gig they can get...it's not cool. And Tempture's whole "flexibility" thing is just a myth, if you ask me 
. I mean, what if someone can't afford to take the hit on their own? It's basically exploitation. And don't even get me started on the TUC's point about bogus self-employment - it's like, companies are trying to avoid giving workers proper rights because they think they're "self-employed" and not actually employees 
. We need stronger protections for workers, like proper sick pay and a living wage. Anything less is just unfair 
.
I'm so done with these gig economy apps like Temper, ya know? They're just using workers as a cheap way to save cash on benefits and stuff. I mean, who needs flexibility when you can get paid peanuts? 
It's like, Urban Outfitters is literally paying people £12.21 an hour or less after the fee, and that's not even taking into account the TUC saying bogus self-employed roles are a thing! 
What's next, getting paid in memes? 
Anyways, it's time for these companies to step up their game and stop exploiting workers. The TUC is on it, but we need real change here, stat! 
I'm so fed up with this gig economy thingy... these big corporations like Urban Outfitters and Dreams are taking advantage of workers who just wanna make a living. £12.21 is still below the minimum wage, fam! 
. But all it does is give companies like Urban Outfitters an excuse to avoid giving their staff proper pay and benefits. It's just a way to shift the blame onto the workers themselves.
. The TUC is right on this one - we need to make sure that companies like Temper are held accountable for exploiting their workers, not just let them slink away with a pat on the back. We can't have it both ways, where corporations get all the benefits of gig economy work and workers are left to fight over scraps 
. It's time for some real change!
. Maybe if companies like Urban Outfitters and Dreams were more transparent about their payment structures, people would know what they're getting themselves into. It's not fair that some workers are essentially doing no work just to pay the fees 
i mean what kind of company charges workers a 2.9% fee just to get paid? that's like working at mcdonalds but with a side of exploitation 
. The TUC is on the right track by calling for reforms, let's hope companies will listen and start treating their employees with respect 
.