Employers of so-called gig workers are avoiding a responsibility to adequately protect staff with cover for loss of wages or other payments if they are injured or become ill, Slater and Gordon says.

Research undertaken by the law firm found almost half of migrant rideshare and food delivery workers were unaware they would not receive workers’ compensation insurance when they signed up to gig economy work, compared with 28% of Australian workers.

“These gig economy companies are avoiding their responsibilities to adequately protect the people who work for them and migrant workers are particularly vulnerable,” Slater and Gordon Practice Group Leader Jasmina Mackovic said.

“Many drivers and riders don’t know when signing up that they will have very limited or no insurance rights.”

These workers are not automatically given paid time off work to recover from injury or illness or paid superannuation by their employer. Slater and Gordon says gig workers should have access to the same benefits as workers who are considered employees.

“Being without workers’ compensation means you are not guaranteed loss of wages payments, medical payments or a lump sum for impairment suffered if injured or ill and you cannot work,” Ms Mackovic said.