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A U.K. judge ruled that Uber must classify its drivers as formal employees and must adhere to workers’ rights legislation as Uber lost its appeal at an employment tribunal earlier today. With Uber increasingly becoming a household name not only in the U.S. but on an international scale, more and more legal systems around the world have challenged the company’s treatment of its workers, who Uber claims are “self-employed” and therefore not entitled to the minimum wage, accommodations, and the like. As “gig economy” employers like Uber and Lyft expand their businesses on a global scale, the question of what exactly the definition of “employee” is has fallen under greater scrutiny and workers on a now expansive network of allegedly self-employed laborers have made claims against their employers more frequently and in greater numbers than ever before. This ruling represents a monumental victory for workers who feel entitled to protection from possible abuse by employers through the exploitation of legal loopholes. Uber has announced plans to re-appeal this decision through Britain's Court of Appeal or through the Supreme Court, although it appears unlikely that the company will emerge victorious.