Abstract
Recent research regarding the working conditions of elite athletes in Olympic sports
in the European Union, Norway and the UK shows that most athletes are not in
an employment relationship with a sports stakeholder such as a National Olympic
Committee, sports governing body or club because legislation at a national level or
the terms of a contract preclude their status as employees or workers. Elite athletes
who are excluded from employee or worker status do not have access to valuable
social and employment benefits and protections, for example, a pension entitlement
or maternity benefits. This article highlights the complex contractual situation of
elite athletes who are integrated into a national elite sports programme and the
regulatory and legal frameworks in which they provide services during an athletic
career and posits that elite athletes are workers irrespective of an athlete’s legal
status designated under national law or contract.
in the European Union, Norway and the UK shows that most athletes are not in
an employment relationship with a sports stakeholder such as a National Olympic
Committee, sports governing body or club because legislation at a national level or
the terms of a contract preclude their status as employees or workers. Elite athletes
who are excluded from employee or worker status do not have access to valuable
social and employment benefits and protections, for example, a pension entitlement
or maternity benefits. This article highlights the complex contractual situation of
elite athletes who are integrated into a national elite sports programme and the
regulatory and legal frameworks in which they provide services during an athletic
career and posits that elite athletes are workers irrespective of an athlete’s legal
status designated under national law or contract.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | dwae025 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-30 |
| Number of pages | 30 |
| Journal | Industrial Law Journal |
| Early online date | 13 Aug 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 13 Aug 2024 |
Keywords
- Elite Athletes
- Worker Status
- Employment Relationship
- Legal Framework
- Labour Law
- Sports Law
- Professional Sports
- Employment Rights
- Contractual Obligations
- Employee Classification
- sports governance
- Athlete Employment
- Labour Market
- Professional Athletes
- Worker Protection
- Sporting Organisations
- Employment Contracts
- Economic Dependency
- Legal Precedents
- Athlete Compensation
- Labour Disputes
- Classification Criteria
- Collective Bargaining
- Workplace Rights
- Regulatory bodies
Research Centres
- Centre for Sports Law Research