Ruiz v. Affinity Logistics Corp., No. 12-56589 (9th Cir. 2014)
Annotate this CaseDrivers, California residents who worked for Affinity, filed suit alleging that Affinity wrongfully classified them as independent contractors, failed to pay them sick leave, vacation, holiday, and severance wages; and improperly charged them workers' compensation insurance fees. The court concluded that the undisputed facts indicated that Affinity had the right to control the details of the drivers' work, and the application of the secondary factors weigh in favor of a finding that the drivers were employees. Therefore, the court reversed the district court's decision that the drivers were independent contractors and held that they were Affinity's employees under California law. The court remanded for further proceedings.
Court Description: Labor Law. Reversing the district court’s judgment on remand, the panel held that home delivery drivers who alleged failure to pay sick leave and other state-law causes of action were employees, rather than independent contractors, under California law. The panel reasoned that the drivers’ employer had the right to control the details of their work, and that additional, secondary factors also weighed in favor of a finding that the drivers were employees. The panel remanded the case to the district court for further proceedings.
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