In a 74-page decision last Thursday, October 22, the California Court of Appeal upheld the lower court’s grant of preliminary injunction that “restrains Uber and Lyft from classifying their drivers as independent contracts.” The People of the State of California v. Uber Technologies, Inc., et al. (2020) 2020 Cal. App. LEXIS 988, 2020 WL 6193994.

The current law governing whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor comes from a 2018 California Supreme Court case, Dynamex Operations W. v. Superior Court (2018) 4 Cal. 5th 903, which the California legislature codified into Labor Code Section 2775. Section 2775 establishes a presumption that one who provides labor or services for payment is an employee. (California Labor Code § 2775, subd. (b)(1).) This presumption may be rebutted if “the hiring entity” establishes multiple elements referred to as the “ABC test.”

Many entrepreneurs will organize their business into a limited liability company (LLC) or similar entity to obtain limited liability protections. Lawyers counseling these business owners often recommend that their clients observe corporate formalities by following such practices as conducting regular corporate meetings, taking minutes of those meetings, and approving resolutions of important actions taken by the LLC. Maintaining limited liability is an important reason for a company to follow corporate formalities and maintain formal records, but there are other important reasons to maintain these practices that are even more basic.

In the case Kelegian v. Mgrdichian (1995) 33 Cal. App. 4th 982, a California Court of Appeal quoted the trial judge’s wise words:

COVID Employment Law Update

On March 18, 2020, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act was signed into law.  This new law expands many employers’ obligations to provide sick leave to employees impacted by COVID-19.

Generally, the Act provides that all covered employers must provide all employees with up two weeks of paid sick leave at the regular rate of pay for up to two weeks if the employee is:

• personally experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and seeking a medical diagnosis; or
• is personally subject to a quarantine instruction from a Federal, State, or local government or a medical professional.

Businesses of all kinds will be forced to keep their doors closed in the coming weeks in the face of COVID-19 and the orders from Governor Newsom [1] and the Santa Clara County Health Officer. [2] Business owners should be turning to their insurance policies to consider what help they will be able to obtain. Each business will have different results depending on the kind of coverage they have. This article outlines a few of the common insurance issues that will be relevant in the current crisis.

            On December 30, 2019, Uber and Postmates filed a lawsuit to stop enforcement of AB-5, California’s new legislation that makes it more difficult to classify workers as independent contractors.

            Obviously Uber and Postmates’ entire business model relies on having “gig” workers who drive for them. Other industries, such as trucking, have also filed suit to enjoin the enforcement of AB5.

            Prior to California enacting AB5 to expand the definition of employee, California businesses needed to meet the ABC test laid out in the Dynamex case in order to classify an worker as an independent contractor. Those factors were:

1. Worker is not controlled by the company in performing work; and
2. Worker has work outside the company’s usual course of business; and
3. Worker is engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, or business of the same type of work performed for the company (perhaps certified or licensed).

Employees in California are protected by the Workers’ Compensation Act (WCA) which governs “compensation given to California employees for injuries incurred in the course and scope of their employment.” Charles J. Vacanti, M.D., Inc. v. State Comp. Ins. Fund (2001) 24 Cal.4th 800, 810. All employers except the state must secure the payments of compensation by either carrying workers’ compensation insurance or self-insuring. In a recent case, the San Mountain Empire School District was self-insured, but had also contracted for excess policy insurance. In the case of the Mountain Empire School District, its excess insurer ran out of money.

California law also provides for protection to both “insured and the public” through a system called the California Insurance Guarantee Association (CIGA). Fireman’s Fund Ins. Co. v. Workers Comp. Appeals Bd. (2010) 189 Cal.App.4th 101, 111-112. CIGA pays only: 1) covered claims and 2) claims for which neither a solvent insurer or self-insured employer is jointly and severally liable.

The Ninth Circuit has expanded the scope of claims that are subject to arbitration clauses to include racial discrimination claims under 42 U.S.C. Section 1981. Lambert v. Tesla, 2019 U.S. App. LEXIS 14591.

In 2015, DeWitt Lambert, who is African American, began working as a production associate in Tesla’s Fremont, California factory. He claimed that during his employment other employees consistently harassed him and that he was not promoted because of his race. Lambert alleged that his complaints to human resources went nowhere.

The California Corporations Code requires founders to follow specific procedures and file specific forms before the entity comes into existence. For example, articles of incorporation must be filed with the Secretary of State in order to create a corporation. In contrast, a general partnership can be formed without any document at all.

A partnership is formed when two or more individuals co-own a business for profit. Cal. Corp. § 16101 (9). No writing at all is required to form a partnership. However, written partnership agreements are often created by the partners and this article discusses one reason why a partnership agreement is important.

For example, Sallie and Juan open a bakery shop together in downtown San Jose. Sallie buys all the groceries, pays for them and hires the staff. Juan gets up early, bakes everything and stocks the display windows. Together Sallie and Juan help customers and man the cash register. At the end of each day, they split the proceeds after costs are paid. They are clearly doing business together in their San Jose bakery. Even without a written partnership agreement or the intent to form a partnership, they have.

However, one day Sallie tells Juan that she has to move out of state to care for an elderly relative. Sallie leaves San Jose for Reno the next day. Juan no longer has a partner.