# Supreme Court will decide if food couriers are employees or self-employed

The Supreme Court takes the case of Wolt couriers. The decision could give thousands of food couriers the right to permanent employment, sick leave and holiday pay. Here's what the case means for you.

Canonical: https://samfunnprep.no/en/nyheter/matbud-hoyesterett-ansatt-selvstendig-2026
Language: en
Publisher: SamfunnPrep
Author: Hlib Suslov
Published: 2026-07-10T16:48:36.853+00:00
Modified: 2026-09-24T13:46:39.723295+00:00
AI use policy: https://samfunnprep.no/ai-policy.txt

## Key takeaways

- Supreme Court took the case on May 13, 2026 The Supreme Court's appeals committee decided that the case of three Wolt couriers should be heard. No date for the hearing has been set.
- Employee or self-employed determines the rights An employee has sick leave, holiday pay and protection against dismissal. A self-employed contractor has few such rights.
- Different outcomes in the courts The couriers won in the district court in 2025, but lost in the court of appeal in February 2026. Now the Supreme Court decides.

The Supreme Court will decide if food couriers for apps like Wolt and Foodora are **employees** or **self-employed contractors**. On May 13, 2026, the Supreme Court's appeals committee decided that the case of three Wolt couriers should be heard. The answer could mean a lot for thousands of food couriers in Norway.

## What is the case about?

Three food couriers sued Wolt because they believed they were employees, not self-employed. The difference is significant. An **employee** has rights under the Working Environment Act: permanent employment, protection against dismissal, sick leave and holiday pay. A **self-employed contractor** works on their own account and has few such rights.

The case has gone through several levels of courts with different outcomes:

- **Oslo District Court, April 2025:** the couriers won. The court believed they were employees.
- **Borgarting Court of Appeal, February 2026:** the couriers lost. The court believed they were self-employed contractors.
- **Supreme Court, from May 13, 2026:** takes the case up for new proceedings. No date has been set for when the case will be heard.

## Why is this important for immigrants?

Many food couriers in Norway are immigrants and students. The job is easy to start, but the rights are unclear. If you are an **employee**, you are entitled to pay during illness, holiday pay and a safety net if you become ill or lose your job. If you are **self-employed**, you must arrange everything yourself, and you are in a weaker position.

The decision from the Supreme Court will serve as a precedent for the entire industry. The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and the trade unions are following the case closely, because it concerns a principle that applies to much more than food couriers: where the boundary lies between employee and self-employed in the digital economy.

## What are Wolt and Foodora doing now?

The companies have different models. Foodora lets couriers choose between being employed with a collective agreement or self-employed with more flexible working hours, but without the same protection. Wolt has used self-employed couriers, but has announced that it will hire more permanently. Regardless of the outcome in the Supreme Court, many couriers will continue to work under different conditions going forward.

## What should you do if you are a food courier?

If you work as a food courier, you should know what agreement you have. Check if you are registered as an employee or as self-employed. The rules are explained in the guide on [worker rights in Norway](https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/arbeidstakers-rettigheter) and in the article on [being a freelancer or having a sole proprietorship](https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/frilanser-eller-enk).

If you are unsure, a trade union can help you. On SamfunnPrep you can read more about [trade unions and the Norwegian labour model](https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/fagforeninger-norske-modellen). A trade union can give advice on your contract and your rights.

The case in the Supreme Court has not yet been decided. SamfunnPrep will update this article when a judgment is issued.

## FAQ

### What will the Supreme Court decide in the Wolt case?

The Supreme Court will decide if food couriers who work for apps like Wolt are employees or self-employed contractors. The appeals committee decided on May 13, 2026 that the case should be heard. No date has been set for the hearing.

### What is the difference between an employee and self-employed?

An employee has rights under the Working Environment Act: permanent employment, protection against dismissal, sick leave and holiday pay. A self-employed contractor works on their own account and has few such rights.

### How has the case proceeded in the court system?

The couriers won in Oslo District Court in April 2025, but lost in Borgarting Court of Appeal in February 2026. The case has now been appealed to the Supreme Court, which took it up for hearing on May 13, 2026.

### What should I do if I work as a food courier?

Check if you are registered as an employee or self-employed, and what agreement you have. If you are unsure about your rights, a trade union can give you advice about your contract.

## Sources

- [Høyesterett skal vurdere om Wolt-bud er arbeidstakere](https://www.nrk.no/stor-oslo/hoyesterett-skal-vurdere-om-wolt-bud-er-arbeidstakere-1.17882873)
- [Høyesterett skal avklare Wolt-budenes status](https://www.advokatbladet.no/ankesiling-arbeidsrett-hoyesterett/hoyesterett-skal-avklare-wolt-budenes-status/245489)
- [Matbud saksøkte Wolt. Nå går saken til Høyesterett](https://frifagbevegelse.no/loaktuelt/matbud-saksokte-wolt-na-gar-saken-til-hoyesterett-6.158.1211834.970534fcdf)

Citation: Hlib Suslov, "Supreme Court will decide if food couriers are employees or self-employed", SamfunnPrep, 2026-07-10T16:48:36.853+00:00, https://samfunnprep.no/en/nyheter/matbud-hoyesterett-ansatt-selvstendig-2026