Sunday, September 16, 2018

David P. Mastagni Interviewed About Independent Contractor Ruling

Earlier this year, the California Supreme Court cracked down on companies taking advantage of workers by calling them independent contractors when they're really employees.  Before the ruling, many employers claimed their employees weren't really employees at all, meaning they did not have any right to overtime or could be fired if they got sick, for example.  This Court's ruling means employers can't shirk their responsibilities for overtime, unemployment insurance, workers' compensation, payroll taxes, the right to join a union, and other benefits of employment status.

Mastagni Holstedt founding partner David P. Mastagni was interviewed in response of some companies objection the ruling hurts their profits.  He explained calling employees independent contractors "is cheap and they're cheap and they want to make a greater profit on the back of someone else.  But he explained, "after this case, there's a glimmer of hope and responsible employers will embrace it."  Watch the full interview at https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2018/09/13/independent-contractors-whats-next-california/.

In Dynamex Operations West v. Superior Court of Los Angeles, the Court held workers only count as independent contractors if "(A) that the worker is free from the control and direction of the hirer in connection with the performance of the work, both under the contract for the performance of such work and in fact; (B) that the worker performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business; and (C) that the worker is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, or business of the same nature as the work performed for the hiring entity.”