Czech platform work rules: government approves new protections for couriers and drivers
The Czech government has approved a bill introducing new rules for platform work, including clearer tests for employee status and human review of important automated decisions. The proposal is aimed at couriers, drivers and other people whose work is organised through digital platforms.
The bill does not automatically turn platform workers who operate as OSVČ into employees. Instead, it creates a rebuttable presumption of an employment relationship where the real conditions of work resemble dependent employment.
The proposal is planned to take effect on January 1, 2027, but it must still complete the legislative process before becoming law.
Czech platform work rules: what the government approved
According to the Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the draft implements the EU Platform Work Directive while seeking to preserve flexibility for genuine self-employed work.
The key question will be how the work is actually organised — for example, who controls when and how the person works and whether the platform gives binding instructions.
OSVČ status would not disappear automatically
The proposed presumption of an employment relationship would be rebuttable. A platform or intermediary could show that the relationship does not meet the characteristics of dependent work.
Workers who genuinely decide when and how long they work, can stop freely and are not subject to a minimum number of hours may still remain self-employed.
Algorithms would no longer have the final word
The bill would require platforms to explain the automated systems they use to allocate work, assess workers or make decisions affecting access to the platform.
Important adverse decisions, such as restricting, suspending or terminating an account or contractual relationship, would need human oversight and the possibility of human review.
When could the rules take effect?
MPSV says the platform-work bill is intended to take effect on January 1, 2027. As of now, it is a government-approved proposal rather than a final law in force.
Couriers, drivers and platforms should therefore follow the remaining legislative process before treating the proposed rules as binding requirements.
