When a Contract Calls You a “Contractor” but the Law Says Otherwise

When a young backpacker signed a “self-employed contractor” agreement to work on a Perth construction site, he thought he was free — until the High Court said otherwise. In CFMMEU v Personnel Contracting (2022), the Court ruled that the true test of employment lies in the contract’s substance, not the label. This case redefined how Australia distinguishes workers from contractors — reshaping fairness in the gig economy.