Lyft Drivers Lose Second Bid for Emergency Covid-19 Sick Pay (1)

A group of Lyft drivers in California lost their latest bid to convince a state judge to immediately reclassify them as employees with paid sick leave to help fight the spread of Covid-19.

The pandemic has caused dire financial consequences for many Lyft drivers, who are classified as independent contractors, Judge Ethan P. Schulman of the California Superior Court acknowledged Thursday. Despite that, and even though some drivers have contracted the virus, they must keep working if they want to get paid, he said.

“The court’s powers only extend so far,” and neither the record nor California law justifies granting ...