When “Becoming a Contractor” Becomes the Law: ZG Operations v Jamsek
For 30 years, two truck drivers delivered lighting goods for the same company. When they were told to “become contractors” — buying their own trucks — they kept working as before. But decades later, the High Court ruled they were never employees. In ZG Operations v Jamsek (2022), the Court drew a sharp line: when a contract is genuine, not a sham, its words decide the relationship. The case reshaped what “independence” means in Australian work law.
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.