Independent Contractor Rulings Sharpen Issue of Who Is and Isn’t

Calfornia’s gig worker classification landscape is slightly more in focus with two rulings issued only days apart, one on a state law, the other on a voter-approved initiative covering who is exempt from employee protections including overtime and reimbursement.

Bookending the week, those state and federal appellate decisions issued March 13 and 17 addressed the ability of app-based businesses to treat certain workers as independent contractors. At issue, AB 5, the state law that made it harder to characterize workers that way, and Proposition 22, the voter-passed initiative creating exceptions to that rule.

Gig platforms could see a boost ...