From Quartz, Alison Griswold reports that the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) said that two Uber drivers in Florida were independent contractors and not employees. Alison writes:
“The technology is novel and the economic transformation is important, but the law is straightforward,” an order issued Thursday states. “The transportation providers at issue here were independent contractors, not employees, of Uber.”
Uber’s victory here is limited in that it only applies to the two drivers in the case; it’s not a sweeping ruling on the status of all Uber drivers in Florida, according to the DEO. Nonetheless, the order could give Uber ammunition in its broader argument against treating drivers as employees.“This decision recognizes that Uber’s partners are independent contractors who use Uber on their own terms,” the company said in a statement on Thursday. “They control their use of the app, deciding when and for how long they drive, and whether they drive at all.”
Read the full story at Uber just notched a win in Florida
In addition, from the Broward Palm Beach New Times, Chris Joseph also writes about the decision. Chris writes:
The Department of Economic Opportunity agreed with the decision, saying that Uber acts more as a middleman to drivers using its app to pick up fares.
“Uber is a technology platform that, for a fee, connects transportation providers with customers seeking transportation,” Panuccio wrote in his decision. “Drivers have significant control over the details of their work. Drivers use their own vehicles and choose when, if ever, to provide services through Uber’s software. Drivers decide where to work. Drivers decide which customers to serve. Drivers have control over many details of the customer experience. Drivers may provide services through, or work for, competing platforms or other companies when not using the Uber application. On these facts, it appears that Uber operates not as an employer, but as a middleman or broker for transportation services.”
Read the full story at Florida Uber Drivers Declared Independent Contractors, Not Employees
