Uber and Lyft ordered by California judge to classify drivers as employees

Re:Uber and Lyft ordered by California judge to classify dri... by blisterpeanuts on Monday August 10, 2020 @09:18PM (#24116246)

The judge does not understand what a "gig" is. Uber drivers can choose to drive one, twelve, or zero hours in any given day. They can suddenly stop working by simply not accepting any more ride requests. It's the ultimate remote, self-directed, self-managed job.

An employee can't make such decisions; they do as they are told or they are fired.

Uber drivers are private, self-owned businesses that rent out their time and equipment to a corporation on a completely arbitrary basis. The company counts on an oversupply of such drivers to meet demand and does not need to manage the supply other than to continually recruit more people.

I suspect this ruling will be overturned, if not in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, then in the Supreme Court.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Uber and Lyft ordered by California judge to classify dri... by Polylactic_acid on Tuesday August 11, 2020 @02:47AM (#24117785)

The judge certainly does understand what is going here. Secure employment is being replaced with "gigs" to the point where a huge chunk of the country has no stable income and is one week away from homelessness.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Uber and Lyft ordered by California judge to classify dri... by seankimdesign on Tuesday August 11, 2020 @04:02AM (#24118207)

I guess that's one theory: Uber, purely by existing, somehow managed to significantly reduce the number of secure employment opportunities available in the US and lured happily employed people onto a life that's inches away from homelessness. In the same vein, if we were to shut down Uber right now and went back to the taxi model we should be able to salvage our economy.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Uber and Lyft ordered by California judge to classify dri... by LatteLazy on Tuesday August 11, 2020 @04:30AM (#24118365)

> Secure employment

> At will employment

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Uber and Lyft ordered by California judge to classify dri... by anticensor on Tuesday August 11, 2020 @07:44AM (#24119305)

This is not black-or-white. You can have parts of both.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Uber and Lyft ordered by California judge to classify dri... by LatteLazy on Tuesday August 11, 2020 @08:35AM (#24119626)

Can you? Not trying to argue, I am a limey brit so I don't know the exact details. /r/legaladvice seems to be filled with people being fired for no reason or just de-scheduled or having their wages cut and it's all perfectly legal...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Uber and Lyft ordered by California judge to classify dri... by quadrifoliate on Monday August 10, 2020 @11:18PM (#24116839)

> Uber drivers are private, self-owned businesses that rent out their time and equipment to a corporation on a completely arbitrary basis.

As far I know, this is not true. Uber dictates the prices that drivers can charge, they cannot set an arbitrary price for their own labor. Is that not the case?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Uber and Lyft ordered by California judge to classify dri... by exhaze on Tuesday August 11, 2020 @01:56AM (#24117541)

Uber has been rolling out a feature to allow drivers in California to set their own prices, and today rolled it out to the entire state. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/uber-calif...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Uber and Lyft ordered by California judge to classify dri... by rsanek on Thursday August 13, 2020 @09:04PM (#24151984)

Small correction: not today, this article is from over a month ago.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Uber and Lyft ordered by California judge to classify dri... by Akababa on Tuesday August 11, 2020 @01:55AM (#24117537)

I'm not sure that this makes an economic difference - ultimately Uber's algorithm will set the price where supply intersects demand. Or equivalently, drivers can raise their own prices/restrict supply by only working during surge hours.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Uber and Lyft ordered by California judge to classify dri... by gocard on Tuesday August 11, 2020 @12:10AM (#24117086)

Is the driver charging the passenger? Or is Uber charging the passenger, and putting forth a contract at a set rate which individual drivers can accept or decline?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Uber and Lyft ordered by California judge to classify dri... by blisterpeanuts on Tuesday August 11, 2020 @12:18AM (#24117113)

True, Uber sets the prices and also acts as the broker/middleman. Kind of a super-broker.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Uber and Lyft ordered by California judge to classify dri... by jdm2212 on Monday August 10, 2020 @09:20PM (#24116256)

California law is pretty clear on the matter. You don't have to like the law (it's a dumb law), but the law is clear.

[ Parent | on HN ]