Urban Outfitters, Dreams and Royal Parks cafes criticised for use of gig economy app

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 4 min read 100% complete by Sarah ButlerJanuary 31, 2026 at 12:00 PM

AI Summary

long article 4 min

Urban Outfitters, Dreams, and Royal Parks cafes are facing criticism for utilizing the gig economy app Temper to hire staff. The TUC is raising concerns that workers hired through Temper may be missing out on employment rights like sick pay, holiday pay, and minimum wage, potentially leading to bogus self-employment. Temper charges fees for faster payment, which can result in some workers earning below the minimum wage. Urban Outfitters has advertised positions paying just above minimum wage, but the quick payment fee drops the hourly rate below the legal minimum. Similarly, Royal Parks cafes offered barista shifts at rates that could fall below minimum wage after the fee.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Deliveroo 40% London ×250% Lush 50% Uniqlo 50% Colicci Cafe 60% Royal Parks ×260% Outernet 60% Dreams 70% United Kingdom Government 70% Trades Union Congress 80% Urban Outfitters ×490% Temper ×6100%

Keywords

gig economy 100% minimum wage 90% temper app 80% employment rights 70% freelance workers 60% bogus self-employment 50% retail sector 50% urban outfitters 40% sick pay 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Royal Parks

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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gig economy minimum wage temper app employment rights freelance workers bogus self-employment retail sector urban outfitters sick pay

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