Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Make a sustaining gift today to support local journalism!

Uber Settlement Keeps Drivers As Independent Contractors, Not Employees

A man leaves the headquarters of Uber in San Francisco, Dec. 16, 2014. (Eric Risberg/AP)
A man leaves the headquarters of Uber in San Francisco, Dec. 16, 2014. (Eric Risberg/AP)

Uber reached a settlement in class-action lawsuits in California and Massachusetts, allowing the company to continue to classify workers as independent contractors rather than employees.

The settlement calls for Uber to pay as much as $100 million to about 385,000 drivers represented in the cases, but it allows the ride-hailing company to avoid having to pay minimum wage or contribute to workers’ Social Security.

The settlement could have broad implications for companies and workers in the sharing economy. Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson talks with Mike Regan, columnist for Bloomberg Gadfly, about the deal.

Guest

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.