Cyprus proposes legislation to regulate platform worker rights

On August 20, 2026, the Cyprus Ministry of Labor placed two draft bills under public consultation, aiming to overhaul the employment status of digital platform workers, including food delivery couriers and drivers. This initiative seeks to harmonize national law with EU Directive 2024/2831. The proposed legislation includes the Social Insurance (Amendment) Law and the Law on Regulating the Working Conditions of Employees on Platforms, which aim to address current legal gaps regarding algorithm-controlled labor.

The legislative proposal introduces a legal presumption of employment when facts indicate that a platform exercises direction and control. This could lead to the reclassification of many currently self-employed workers as salaried employees, granting them associated legal protections and social security benefits. The burden of proof would shift to the platforms to demonstrate that an employment relationship does not exist. The consultation process remains open until September 24, 2026.

These developments follow a violent incident in Paphos on August 18, 2026, where five foreign food delivery workers were hospitalized after being attacked by a group of approximately ten individuals. While officials state the timing of the legislation is coincidental, the incident highlighted significant vulnerabilities and ambiguity regarding the working conditions and employer responsibilities for gig workers in Cyprus.