A London Central Employment Tribunal has ruled that six of eight sample Bolt drivers were “workers” for specified periods when they were in their licensed operating area with the Bolt app switched on. The preliminary ruling in Bandi and others v Bolt does not decide the status or compensation of every driver in the wider claim, and Bolt was reported to have permission to appeal as of 26 February 2026.
What did the tribunal decide?
The case, Bandi and others v Bolt, was brought against Bolt Operations OÜ and Bolt Services UK Ltd at London Central Employment Tribunal. The tribunal considered worker-status issues for eight sample claimants in a larger group claim. It found six were workers under the Employment Rights Act 1996, the Working Time Regulations 1998 and the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 for specified periods when they were within their licensed operating area and had the Bolt app switched on. The corrected judgment sets out the periods and individual findings.
The other two sample drivers had materially different outcomes: one was covered only for individual assignments from a specified point, while another’s finding did not continue in the same way after returning to Bolt work. The official tribunal summary describes the claimants as “some 10,000 private hire drivers” but makes clear that the preliminary hearing decided issues for eight sample claimants. It is not an individual ruling for every person who drives for Bolt.
What does “worker” status mean for drivers?
The tribunal found worker status, not employee status. In UK employment law, those are distinct categories; the ruling should not be described as a finding that the sample drivers were employees. Worker status can provide protections including the right to the National Minimum Wage and paid annual leave. The decision addressed legal status for the sample drivers and specified periods; it does not itself state how much any driver is owed.
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How many drivers and how much compensation are involved?
Reported figures refer to different groups and sources, so they should not be treated as interchangeable:
| Figure | What it refers to | Source and qualification |
|---|---|---|
| “Some 10,000” drivers | The wider group claim | Courts and Tribunals Judiciary press summary; not the number individually decided in the preliminary hearing. |
| 15,000 drivers | Clients represented | Leigh Day’s 8 November 2024 release. |
| More than 100,000 drivers | Potentially affected Bolt app drivers | Leigh Day’s characterization, not a tribunal count or finding. |
| More than £200 million | Possible compensation | Leigh Day lawyers’ estimate in 2024; not compensation awarded by the tribunal and not a per-driver amount. |
The Leigh Day release attributes the potential compensation figure to its lawyers. The published materials cited here do not establish a verified amount for an individual driver or a specific total awarded. The estimate should not be divided across drivers to infer an entitlement.
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Is Bolt appealing the worker-status ruling?
An Employee Benefits report dated 26 February 2026 said Bolt had been granted permission to appeal the worker-status findings. No subsequent appeal decision is established by the sources cited here, so the ruling should not be described as upheld, overturned or finally resolved on appeal. The official case page identifies the proceedings and tribunal.
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What should a Bolt driver take from the ruling?
- The decision is a preliminary worker-status ruling based on eight sample claimants, not a final determination of every driver’s case.
- The findings were tied to specified periods and, for six sample drivers, to being in the licensed operating area with the app switched on.
- Worker status may matter for minimum-wage and holiday-pay protections, but an individual’s status, relevant period and any compensation cannot be inferred from the headline figures alone.
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