California Uber and Lyft drivers brace for shutdown over worker classification

Companies threatened to shut down operations over a court ruling ordering them to classify their drivers as employees by 20 August

Uber and Lyft drivers are bracing for a shutdown in California, one of the rideshare companies' largest markets. For drivers it is a bittersweet moment. One that couldn't come at a worse time and yet holds the promise of a better future.

The coronavirus pandemic has hit so-called gig economy workers hard and ramped up local and state efforts to classify Uber and Lyft drivers as employees rather than contractors, a move that would improve minimum wages and benefits for drivers.