The New Zealand Labour Inpectorate last month said it’s running a national campaign on the misclassification of courier drivers as independent contractors.

It’s asking couriers with concerns about their employment classification or minimum employment requirements to reach out to the agency.

“We’re asking any courier drivers with concerns about their employment status to come forward. Any information we receive will help us evaluate the size of the issue and determine if any further action is necessary,” said Callum McMillan, Labour Inspectorate manager central, in a statement at the time of the announcement.

Employers are also encouraged to reach out with any questions.

“Businesses may mistakenly misclassify employees as contractors because they see that is what others in the industry do, while some may do this deliberately to avoid their responsibility to provide employee entitlements,” McMillan said.

“Some courier drivers are genuine contractors, while others more closely fit the legal definition of an employee,” he said. “There isn’t a fixed rule that courier drivers should exclusively be employees or contractors. Employment status depends on each individual’s situation.”