Glovo ordered to pay riders for waiting time by Turin court

The Labor Court of Turin has issued a landmark ruling against Glovo, determining that time spent by delivery riders waiting for orders constitutes active working hours and must be remunerated. The court recognized a former rider, who had been working via the platform managed by Foodinho srl, as a full-time employee with an indefinite contract rather than an independent contractor.

The ruling ordered the company to reinstate the worker, who had been dismissed via email, and to pay backdated wages and social security contributions. The court found that the company's claims regarding the rider's failure to complete orders were unsupported by documentation. Central to the decision was the role of the platform's algorithm, which the court noted does not merely connect parties but actively assigns tasks, sets compensation, and monitors movements in real time.

The Unione Sindacale di Base (Usb) union intends to present this ruling to the Chamber of Deputies' Labor Commission, seeking to establish it as a legal precedent to ensure similar rights for all riders in the sector.