Contractors

U.S. Judge Questions Lyft Settlement Over Driver Benefits

A U.S. judge questioned on Thursday whether a proposed class action settlement between Lyft and its California drivers is fair and raised concerns that the $12.25 million payment offered by the ride-hailing service might be too low. The 2013 lawsuit brought against Lyft by California drivers contended they should be classified as employees and therefore entitled to reimbursement …


Lyft Drivers Lawsuit May End Without Addressing Worker Employment Status

A lawsuit filed by drivers against Lyft may not address the key and contentious issue of whether the drivers should be reclassified as employees with all the attendant benefits. The app-based ride hailing company is offering a $12.25 million settlement fund, including attorney fees and other costs, besides non-monetary relief to the about 100,000 drivers, but will not be required to reclassify …


#Nextchat: The Challenges of Employee Classification

The gig economy, also known as the 1099 economy, is the workforce trend in which organizations such as Uber, Airbnb and TaskRabbit, contract with independent workers through digital apps to perform temporary assignments. While workers have the ability to determine their own schedules, settings and conditions, they are also caught up in the quandary over several issues, including whether or not …


Teamsters, Lyft Drivers to File Objections to Class-Action Lawsuit Settlement

Proposed Lyft Settlement Maintains Dangerous Model of Employee Misclassification Doug Bloch (OAKLAND, Calif.) –– Today, the Teamsters Union and Lyft drivers will file legal objections to a class-action lawsuit settlement which would continue to misclassify Lyft employees in California as independent contractors. The objectors, who also plan to intervene in the lawsuit, will file their …


U.S. Chamber Sues Seattle to Prevent Uber Drivers From Unionizing

Uber has a natural enemy of government agencies threatening to impose labor regulations. But the ride-sharing company now has a big ally in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (USCC), which sued the city of Seattle for passing a law that allows ride-sharing and taxi drivers to unionize. “The ordinance will burden innovation, increase prices, and reduce quality and services for consumers,” the agency …


Flowers Foods Sued by Drivers Over Employee Status

The Wall Street JournalCANCEL Flowers Foods Inc.,FLO 2.80 % the bakery that owns Wonder Bread, Nature’s Own and Tastykake brands, is being sued in more than a dozen states by truck drivers who claim they were improperly classified as independent contractors. The lawsuits allege the company violated the federal Fair Labor Standards Act by classifying drivers on its delivery routes as …


Lyft Agrees to Settle Class-Action Lawsuit With California Drivers

For more than two years, ride-hailing companies have fought with their drivers over the drivers’ employment status. Now, one of those companies has found a way to bury the hatchet. Lyft, a popular start-up based in San Francisco, agreed late Tuesday to settle a class-action lawsuit brought in 2013 by Lyft drivers in California.


Lyft Agrees to Give Its Drivers More Than $12 Million to Settle a Proposed Class Action Lawsuit

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Ride-hailing service Lyft has agreed to settle a proposed class action lawsuit in California by giving drivers additional workplace protections but without classifying them as employees, according to a court filing late on Tuesday. The settlement, which would have to be approved by a San Francisco federal judge, provides for Lyft to pay $12.25 million, as well as give …


Lyft Pays $12M to Settle Class Action Suit With California Drivers

The drivers in the class action lawsuit had sought to be classified as employees, rather than independent contractors. Lyft drivers in California will remain independent contractors. That’s the takeaway from a settlement Tuesday between the popular ride-hailing service and its drivers.


Lyft Will Pay $12.25M to Settle Worker Classification Lawsuit In California

Lyft said today that it agreed to pay $12.25 million to settle a pending worker classification lawsuit in California, but it will continue to classify its drivers as independent contractors, not employees. The ride-hailing app will also start giving drivers a specific reason, like a low rating, if it decides to deactivate their accounts. Its terms of service had previously stated Lyft can …