In the ever-evolving landscape of employment law, the issue of employee misclassification is a significant concern for both workers and employers. Misclassification occurs when workers are incorrectly categorized, often as independent contractors rather than employees, a distinction that can have profound implications on wages, benefits, and job protections. Navigating these legal complexities can be daunting, and knowing when to seek the assistance of an employee misclassification attorney is crucial for…
Accurate employee classification is a critical component of employment law, serving as a foundation for the fair treatment and protection of workers. Correctly determining whether an individual is an employee or an independent contractor allows them to receive all the benefits and protections to which they are entitled under the law. Unfortunately, misclassification is a pervasive issue that can have significant repercussions for affected workers. Misclassification occurs when employers intentionally…
Employee misclassification is a pervasive issue in the modern workplace, affecting both workers and employers. Misclassification occurs when an employer incorrectly categorizes an employee as an independent contractor or designates them as exempt. This improper classification can have significant legal and financial repercussions, impacting wages, benefits and protections under labor laws. Miller Shah LLP assists employees and employers navigate these complex issues. What is Employee Misclassification? Employee misclassification refers to…
While the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) provides overtime and minimum wage protections for many employees, certain categories of workers are exempt from these protections. The distinction between exempt and non-exempt employees is a critical aspect of employment law impacting workers' rights and employers' responsibilities. Exempt employee misclassification can deprive workers of essential benefits, such as overtime pay, rest breaks and minimum wage protections. If you believe you have been…
On June 12, 2023, The Third Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the 2022 decision of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey to certify a class of drivers in a wage and hour suit against Sleepy’s LLC (“Defendant” or “Sleepy’s” or the “Company”), rejecting Sleepy’s argument that drivers’ misclassification claims require individualized inquiry to determine whether each class member was an employee or an independent contractor. The Third…
On March 17, 2023, a panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals delivered the latest in a series of decisions on California Assembly Bill 5 (“A.B. 5”), ruling that the United States District Court for the Central District of California had erred in dismissing equal protection claims filed by Uber Technologies, Inc. and Postsmates, Inc. (together, “Plaintiffs”) against the State of California and the California Attorney General (together, “Defendants”).…
On March 30, 2023, U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley held that Grubhub Inc. (“Grubhub” or the “Company”) wrongly classified former delivery driver Raef Lawson as an independent contractor instead of as an employee, in violation of California’s minimum wage law. Throughout the eight-year litigation, Grubhub argued that its delivery drivers fall within the business-to-business exemption to the three-pronged classification test outlined in Dynamex Operations West Inc. v. Superior Court, that allows…
On March 7, 2023, the Honorable William S. Stickman IV of the Western District of Pennsylvania denied a motion to dismiss filed by medical cannabis company FarmaceuticalRX LLC (“FRX” or the “Company”) in a class action lawsuit alleging the Company misclassified delivery drivers as independent contractors and failed to pay overtime wages. In August 2022, FRX delivery drivers Clint Goodenow, Jason Hummel, Alex Fitzgerald, Brian DeMarco, and Mark Williams (collectively, “Plaintiffs”) filed…
In February 2022, the National College Players Association (“NCPA”), an advocacy group composed of current and former college athletes, filed an unfair labor practice charge against the University of California Los Angeles, the University of Southern California, the Pac-12 Conference, the National Collegiate Athletics Association (“NCAA”), and all Division I football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball programs for violations of the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”). The NCPA alleges that…
On February 8, 2023, A Place for Rover, Inc. (“Rover” or the “Company”) agreed to pay $18 million to resolve allegations that the Company unlawfully misclassified its hourly workers as independent contractors in order to skirt certain minimum wage and benefit laws. Rover is an app-based platform where users can connect with and book dog sitters or walkers. The Rover app includes dog boarding, dog walking, house sitting and doggy…