California Judge Rules Uber and Lyft to Immediately Classify Drivers as Employees
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California Judge Rules Uber and Lyft to Immediately Classify Drivers as Employees:
A California court issued a preliminary injuction on Monday, ordering Uber and Lyft to immediately reclassify Uber and Lyft ride-share drivers as employees, in a highly anticipated decision that follows a months-long battle between the state of California and the gig economy companies.
The San Francisco Superior Court judge said the companies must begin complying within 10 days.
In May, California's attorney general Xavier Becerra, alongside the cities of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego, sued Uber and Lyft, arguing that the companies have been violating law by misclassifying Uber and Lyft drivers as independent contractors since January 1 when a state law known as AB5 went into effect.
In June, Becerra filed a request for a preliminary injunction, arguing that drivers are currently enduring such significant damages that waiting until the end of litigation would cause irreparable harm.
Responding to news of the preliminary injunction, attorney general Becerra said, "The court has weighed in and agreed: Uber and Lyft need to put a stop to unlawful misclassification of their drivers while our litigation continues. While this fight still has a long way to go, we're pushing ahead to make sure the people of California get the workplace protections they deserve."
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