Following the death of one of its delivery drivers, DPD is creating a new worker job category that allows applicants the opportunity to have full worker’s rights.

As part of the results of the strategic review DPD went through, there will also be a Driver Code to be introduced later this year. The self-employed worker contract will offer a choice between being directly employed by DPD or working on a self-employed franchise basis.

Those on the franchise contract will have some employment protections including paid annual leave, a pension, sick pay, as well as being able to have the benefits of self-employments such as having a higher earnings potential and greater flexibility and choice as to working hours.

DPD made the headlines after the wife of its deceased driver spoke out about her husband’s death. He had been fined £150 for attending a medical appointment for his diabetes.

Chief executive Dwain McDonald said: “We recognise that we need to improve the way we work with our drivers. While the self-employed franchise scheme has benefitted thousands of drivers over the past 20 years, it hasn’t moved with the times and needs updating. Our plan is to completely transform our overall driver offer, as well as the day-to-day working relationship we have with our drivers. I’ve been visiting our depots and talking to our drivers and the package of measures we are developing will be a direct result of those conversations.

“At the moment, we have drivers who are self-employed and those that are employed directly by DPD. While the vast majority of our self-employed drivers tell us they want to remain self-employed, we want to provide them with a choice of options, including the new worker status. We are looking at all aspects of how we work with our drivers at the moment, and I’m consulting closely with both our drivers and our external advisers Lord Watts and Iain Wright to make sure these changes are fair for all our drivers, and we will announce more details later in the Spring.”