Employees and the Gig Economy

a picture of a uber car and lyft car facing each other.

Photo Credit: https://www.whateverison.com/here-are-answers-to-every-uber-lyft-customers-questions/ (last visited Apr. 11, 2020).

Written by: Alexa Wallace

Research and Writing Editor, American Journal of Trial Advocacy

            For many of us, we hear the term “gig economy” and think it’s another millennial hashtag with absolutely zero meaning in our everyday life.  But really, the emergence of the gig economy has a direct impact on us all.  Put simply, the “gig economy” is a new way of saying independent contract or part-time work, and over 55 million people are now working this way.[1]   Continue reading “Employees and the Gig Economy”

The New ABCs of Employer Liability: Recent Changes to Employee-Independent Contractor Tests May Leave Some Businesses More Open to Liability

Image of two green signs on a pole. One sign points to the right and says "independent contractor," and the other sign points to the left and says "employee"

Photo Credit: https://cdn.cpapracticeadvisor.com/files/base/CSN/image/2016/04/16×9/640×360/Independent_contractors_1_.570f062a5d352.jpg.

By: Brettlyn Miller
Junior Associate Editor, American Journal of Trial Advocacy

The line between the classification of an employee and an independent contractor can be thin but important, especially in terms of vicarious liability for an employer.  While there exists a gray area between the two, one state recently tightened its differentiation.  California’s Assembly Bill 5 (“AB 5”) passed legislation late last year and became effective on January 1, 2020, as amendments to California Labor Code and Unemployment Insurance Code.[1] Continue reading “The New ABCs of Employer Liability: Recent Changes to Employee-Independent Contractor Tests May Leave Some Businesses More Open to Liability”